


Endless Forms Most Beautiful

by PastelLunarPrince



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged Up, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, OT7, asexual/aroflux nathanael, asexual/demiromantic adrien, asexual/panromantic marinette, bisexual/biromantic alya, bisexual/homoromantic juleka, erryone polyamorous, gratuitous romantic and platonic polyamory, homosexual/panromantic rose, panromantic/pansexual nino
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-07-14 12:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7172576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelLunarPrince/pseuds/PastelLunarPrince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They won the battle, but definitely not the war. Hawk Moth is gone, but a new evil is on its way. Something big enough to warrant activating all seven Miraculouses at one time.<br/>But the question on everyone's mind: what could be worse than Hawk Moth?</p><p>A super polyamory fic about superheroes and their super busy lives. (rated T for possible language, tbh)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The End and The Beginning

"Chat."

Chat Noir stood across from Hawk Moth, eyes narrowed and teeth bared.

"Chat. We talked about this. Stay calm."

Ladybug's words hit his ears, but they didn't process. The man across from him looked at Chat with condescending light blue eyes - the same blue eyes that rejected everything he had ever wanted to do in life. To say he was angry at the man across from them would be an understatement. He was furious.

"Chat."

He finally tore his gaze from their enemy to his partner, keeping Hawk Moth in his peripheral. Ladybug's hand was gently, yet firmly clasped around one of his wrists. He hadn't realized his fists were clenched so hard; his fingers were beginning to ache.

"Keep a level head. I know you don't want to hurt him as much as you think you do."

Ladybug was right. _Marinette_ was right.

Just before facing off against their enemy, she had finally conceded to revealing their identities. They had both been nervous, both afraid that it would effect the coming battle in a negative way, but once the magic had disappeared from the abandoned building they had decided to meet in there was nothing but relief. They shared a hug, quick but full of all the things they had wanted to say over the past two years, and full of everything they still needed to talk about. There would be time for that later; they had discovered Hawk Moth's lair. Or rather, he had invited them - tired of dealing with the incompetence of the people of Paris under his control.

So there they were, facing off against the man who had caused them so much trouble. They had entertained the possibility of it being someone they knew, but nothing could prepare them for just exactly _who_ Hawk Moth was. Because after removing the brooch from its place at the man's collar, standing in front of them was Gabriel Agreste.

Chat was in shock, and he was furious. No amount of anger had ever bubbled up in him like this in his entire life, and the Cataclysm in his hand threatened to boil over. He looked at Ladybug, who saw the desperate rage in his eyes and let go of his wrist. She took a step away from him before walking over to Gabriel. She used her Lucky Charm, a pair of cuffs coming from the yo-yo tossed in the sky. She placed them on the man's wrists and led him from the room.

Chat left shortly after, a loud crash and dust following him out of the doorway. The building itself collapsed as he joined Ladybug and _that man_ outside. He couldn't meet the man's eyes; he couldn't stand to think of how many times his own father put him danger, or more importantly - how many times he had nearly killed the girl he loved, one of the people he cared for and one of the only people who treated him like a person rather than an investment or an accessory.

There was no akuma damage to the city, so there was really no need for Ladybug to use the cure and reset everything. Plus, maybe it was better that Hawk Moth's lair stay destroyed as a testament to no more akumas. Once the Lucky Charm cuffs wore off, Gabriel Agreste sat in a parlor room of the mansion, across from two seventeen year olds.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Mr. Agreste." Marinette spoke first, adjusting in her seat. "We can take you to prison."

Both Adrien and Gabriel flinched or grimaced at the idea.

"Or," Marinette continued, ignoring their responses. "We can let you go to your country home and never return to Paris. You can continue to run the Gabriel label, communicating with Nathalie here in Paris. You will have to live with the lives you've ruined and the things you've done, whether you believe your intentions were good and true or not."

Gabriel was silent, in slight awe of how calm and commanding the young woman was. He looked from her determined bluebell eyes to the downcast gaze of his son.

"I would like a moment alone wi-"

"No."

Adrien's eyes snapped up to Marinette, who was standing in the blink of an eye. He knew she could be determined and protective, but this was almost frightening. Her stance showed she was ready to be on the offense, whether she was in her civilian form or not.

"You make your decision now before I make it for you."

Her voice was steely and showed no sign of going easy on the man who had inspired her to go into fashion in the first place. And once again, Adrien felt himself falling for her, despite the current situation. He wasn't sure if he had accepted the outcome, expected it all along, or if he had simply shut off the part of his brain that would normally process the end game.

To prevent mass media coverage and more stress on Adrien and Nathalie, Gabriel was sent promptly to the countryside. It was an easy transition, since the man hardly ever made public appearances to begin with.

That night found Marinette and Adrien at Master Fu's small apartment, trying to give him the two recovered Miraculouses: the Butterfly Brooch and the Peacock Pin.

"I cannot accept these."

"But you're the Great Guardian, aren't you?" Marinette's eyes widened. "I thought you were the one to guard them."

"I was the guardian, yes," Master Fu nodded, taking the hexagonal box from its hiding spot. "However, my time to pass on the Miraculous has come."

"But, we defeated Hawk Moth, is there still a need for Miraculous holders?" Adrien asked, his question almost hurting in the process of being voiced.

"You have won the battle, but not the war. There are more dangers to come," the elderly man responded. "I am nearly 190 years old, and I will not be on this plane much longer. I have already put Wayzz back into his Miraculous. It is up to you two to decided who will be on your team."

Marinette and Adrien looked from Master Fu to the box in his outstretched hands and then to each other.

"But, you chose us, how can we-"

Master Fu closed his eyes and straightened his stance to cut off Marinette. "I did choose you. Trust in that and channel me if you can to pick who will stand beside you in the upcoming war. Friends and companions are good choices, but do not rely simply on them. The Miraculous will choose the holder, inevitably. Do not question it. Follow your instincts, and those of your Kwamis. They will lead you into the light of a new world."

With the brooch and pin placed inside of the box with the bracelet, necklace, and hair comb, Marinette and Adrien left Master Fu's with more questions than answers. Habit and instinct brought them back to the Bakery, where they were greeted with relieved hugs from Tom and Sabine.

After quick showers, the two sat in the floor of Marinette's room, across from each other. A plate of fresh cooked food sat in front of each of them, and in the middle sat the five Miraculouses that now needed holders. A list of people they knew was written out in an old notebook beside the now empty hexagonal box to the side, yet still in the middle. The list was written in order of who they trusted, though the gap between Nino and Alya and then the rest of the people was rather large.

"I guess we really didn't have time for many more friends, huh?" Marinette asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Adrien grunted in response, absently picking up a bite of food with his fork and chewing it slowly.

Marinette sighed, following suit in eating her dinner. She knew they both had a lot to think about, but watching her closest friend shut in on himself again just made her more worried for his sake.

Adrien hadn't realized Marinette had moved until she was sitting beside him, her head on his shoulder and her arms gently wrapped around his waist. He couldn't help but smile. He tilted his head slightly so that it was resting on top of her own.

"Thank you, Mari."

Marinette blinked, "For what?"

"For everything."

"I should be thanking you, kitty," Marinette said, sitting up slowly so as not to headbutt Adrien. She kept her arms around his waist. "All of those times you protected me, saved me. I couldn't - I can't - do any of this without you."

Adrien was quiet for a moment before placing a kiss on Marinette's forehead, then each cheek, and finally, a soft, tentative kiss on her lips. The kiss lasted barely a second, but for the two teenage superheroes, it made time stop and their shields shatter.

The two were soon an emotional heap of sobs and choked laughter. Neither knew how long it lasted, but when they pulled away from the tight embrace of the other, tear streaks lined their red cheeks and sparkled in their puffy eyes. Neither could tell if the tears had come from the laughing or the crying, and neither seemed to care. The universe fell into place around them, and they went back to eating their - now cold - dinner.

After they finished, the two made their way downstairs in a peaceful rather than strained silence. They cleaned up the dinner dishes so that Marinette's parents wouldn't have to do it - after all they've done for the two, they had to do something to try and pay them back. It was getting late, so Tom and Sabine were already in bed to prepare for the Bakery's morning rush.

"They took it so well," Marinette murmured as she grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge. She leaned against the counter and held out one of the bottles to Adrien. "As if they already knew."

Adrien shrugged, accepting the water and taking a quick drink. "Maybe they did. In their own way, of course. Your parents deeply care about you, Mari; no amount of concealing magic is going to blind them completely."

Marinette watched Adrien, her eyes searching through the green of his own. She had known him long enough, as both Adrien and as Chat, to know when he was trying to ignore his own feelings. So she pushed herself from the counter and hugged him again, smiling as he chuckled and returned the gesture.

"If you keep hugging me like this, people are going to question us at school."

"If you keep looking like a sad, stray kitten, people are going to question you. I know you don't want that."

Adrien sucked in a breath before he tightened the hug momentarily. "What did I do to deserve such a good friend like you, Mari."

Marinette smiled softly as she stepped back from the hug, albeit reluctantly, and placed a hand on his cheek. She stood on her toes and gently pecked his lips. "I ask myself the same thing about you every day, Adrien." She took a few steps, opening her water as she walked, before turning and extending a hand. "Are you joining me?"

Light pink dusted Adrien's cheeks as he took her hand and followed her back to her room. They grabbed the Miraculouses and placed them back into the box, bringing the box and the sheet of paper up into Marinette's bed as they slipped under the blankets.

Tikki and Plagg, who had disappeared once they were given their respective recharge foods, joined the two teens in the bed.

"Do you have any ideas on who to give them to?" Tikki asked, her small hands fiddling with part of the blanket.

"You have to be sure the guardian, at least, is someone you can trust no matter what," Plagg said, being actually helpful for once. "They'll have to take care of us if anything ever happens to you."

"Will they live as long as Master Fu?" Adrien asked.

"Possibly," Tikki answered quietly. "It is something a guardian must be willing to do. He, or she, typically outlives their comrades, and must choose the next holders."

"Boring job if you ask me," Plagg piped.

Marinette and Adrien looked at each other. They knew who they wanted to give at least two of the Miraculouses to, and they were worried on how they would react. It was late, and there was school in the morning, but the two actually got out of the bed to go to Marinette's desk to work out plans.

"We need a base of operations, if we're going to seriously do this," Marinette said, looking into Adrien's eyes. They were both exhausted, but it needed to be done. Worrying about school just seemed unimportant in comparison to the events of the day and the events of the future.

"We could use the mansion," Adrien's response was nearly immediate. "There's plenty of backyard space. I can get contractors to help. We can keep it hidden, a secret."

Marinette thought on it for a moment before nodding in agreement, writing it in the notebook.

"Do we really think they'll accept?"

Adrien shrugged, "The worst they could do is say no." He kissed Marinette's temple and looked at the time in the corner of her computer screen. "But for now, Princess, we should get some sleep." He nodded toward the time.

4:32 am.

Marinette's eyes widened and she quickly agreed, considering they had to be up in less than three hours.

-

For the first time in nearly two years, Adrien and Marinette were not only on time to class, but they were early. They sat in the classroom, heads touching as they hunched over the notebook, going over their game plan once more.

They had become closer over the two years of being friends in their civilian forms, so the two of them suddenly being so close together wasn't as odd as it would have been when they were younger. When Marinette couldn't form a full sentence around Adrien. However, it was still slightly odd to see them there on time, so when Alya and Nino walked into the classroom, they were shocked.

"Hey dudes, what's up?"

The two of them looked up at Nino, tired eyes wide. They simultaneously cracked a grin and rubbed the back of their necks, as if they had just been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Weeeiiird," Alya almost sing-songed before shrugging. "Whatcha got there?" She nodded toward the notebook.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, just notes we forgot to go over during the weekend," Marinette smiled. She could feel it as one of her nervous smiles, but she couldn't make it more genuine. She was honestly terrified of their lunch break that day.

Adrien nodded, agreeing with the lie Marinette had made up. She was getting better at them, he noticed. It made him have to step his game up, too. They weren't so much worried about their identities being reveal to their best friends anymore, but until they could get them in a private area they had to play it safe. He watched as Nino and Alya slipped into the seats behind him and Marinette.

"Do you two want to come to my house for lunch? We can grab some croissants from the Bakery and hang out in my room," Marinette smiled, turning to face the two teens behind her and Adrien, closing the notebook as she did so.

Alya and Nino exchanged a glance and shrugged at each other before nodding to Marinette. The rest of the class filed in soon after.

When lunch finally came, the four of them made their way to Marinette's home. As planned, they grabbed some food and went up to Marinette's room. The tension in the air was palpable, considering they hadn't really talked the entire walk from school.

"Where was the Gorilla?" Nino questioned as the four of them sat in a circle in Marinette's room.

"Huh? Oh. H-He won't be needed anymore," Adrien answered, trying to keep his voice level. He smiled as he felt Marinette lay a hand on his upper leg. "That's… That's why we asked you two to join us for lunch."

"Not that we don't all have lunch together anyway, when we can," Marinette started, almost starting to flail before realizing she really didn't have the energy to do so. She looked at Adrien, who met her glance just briefly before nodding for her to continue. She took in a breath. "We have some news."

"My father," Adrien said quietly, his fists clenching and unclenching. "He was Hawk Moth."

Alya and Nino sat in a stunned silence for a moment.

"Dude, I know your dad can be a prick, but-"

"They're serious." Alya cut him off, her honey eyes wide and full of concern and confusion. "How…"

Adrien and Marinette laced their hands together.

"Tikki, Plagg, you can come out now," Marinette looked toward her desk, where she had had Tikki and Plagg hide until the two teens were ready.

The kwamis flew over to their respective holders.

"Oh. My. God. No shitting way!" Alya was the first to recover. She didn't seem to even care that there were two fairy creatures levitating in front of her. "No. Shitting. Way." She looked from Adrien to Marinette, her grin growing. "I knew my friends were special, but _this_ special? Damn." Her smile fell. "But Ladybug and Chat Noir had to defeat Hawk Mo- Oh Adrien."

Adrien gasped as Alya threw her arms around him a bit rougher than she had intended. He chuckled and hugged her back. "It had to be done."

Nino was still blinking away the shock. Slowly, he nodded to himself. "It all makes sense, really. I'm glad that you two trust us enough with this information. But, if Hawk Moth is out of the picture, why are you still Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

Alya pulled away from the hug and sat back beside Nino. She nodded in agreement, surprising Marinette when she made no mention of the Ladyblog in way, shape, or form.

"Because, the Great Guardian - the one who guards the inactive Miraculouses - told us that it was only the beginning," Marinette answered. "And he's getting on in years, so he gave up his Miraculous and told us to find new holders." She sighed softly, taking the wooden box from where she and Adrien had hidden it the night before.

"He told us to trust our instincts and the instincts of our Kwami, as well as let the Miraculous choose the holder," Adrien said. "The first people we thought of were, well, our best friends."

"You're… You're asking us to be superheroes?" Alya asked, once again being the first one out of the shock of the news. "But, how will I keep up with the blog? Wait, if I were a superhero, it'd be easier to get interviews; it could work out wonderfully - but wait, why us?"

"I don't know about you dudes, but I am not the superhero type - I already can't keep up in class, man," Nino said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"And I could?" Marinette grinned. "Listen, Nino, I know what it's like to doubt being worthy - just ask Tikki - but if you trust us as much as we trust you, then I know that you can do this. It's not easy, that's for sure, but doing this - saving people, helping people, the rush and the feeling of being successful is definitely worth a try."

"Marinette tried to give up her powers at first," Tikki chimed in, "but look at her now: a force to be reckoned with, and most of it isn't even my own doing." She smiled. "Us Kwami don't do much besides give you the power to transform; it just so happens that sometimes being behind a mask brings your best qualities to the front, and sometimes they stick out even when the mask is gone. I believe Marinette and Adrien have made the best decision at this juncture."

"Do you trust us?" Adrien asked, looking from Nino to Alya. He waited for the two of them to nod, Nino being a little slower to agree. "Close your eyes." He again waited for them to comply before nodding to Marinette.

Marinette opened the wooden box, taking the green bracelet from its spot, clasping it around Nino's wrist before she sat back down.

At the same moment, Adrien took the necklace, clasping it around Alya's neck, careful of her hair. He took his place back beside Marinette, watching as Tikki and Plagg waved to the new Kwami that appeared in the room.

"Open." Marinette smiled.

Alya looked at the necklace first and then to the orange and cream Kwami floating in front of her. It was the same big head-tiny body shape as Tikki and plagg, but its ears were more pointed, fox-like. Amber eyes stared at Alya, as if staring into Alya's very soul. Two white whisker-like fibers stuck out from each side of the Kwami's mouth.

"Vexxa."

"Alya." The ombre-haired girl grinned.

Nino opened one eye and then the other. Yellow and green eyes stared back at him, a slightly worried look on its tiny face. "You're kind of cute." The teen chuckled, taking in the shell on its back and the antenna on its head.

"I am Wayzz."

"I'm Nino."

Marinette and Adrien exchanged a relieved glance, squeezing each other's hand.

"So, you help me to transform?" Alya grinned, happily conversing with her Kwami. She could tell from the first interactions her and Vexxa would get along most of the time. "And my ability is what now?"

"Fox Fire. It makes copies of yourself. It's one of the reasons you're the other offense member in this team. You can only use it for five minutes, though, and your transformation will run out," Vexxa explained. She flitted around Alya's head, taking in her appearance, she nodded to herself, approving of her charge.

"Force Field." Wayzz said simply, sitting on Nino's open palm. "It's really just to give your teammates an extra boost to staying alive. That's really our goal - helping them reach their goal. You can produce up to six shields at a time, but there's a time limit before you switch back. Unfortunately, you all have a time limit after you use your special ability."

"There's something you're forgetting, Wayzz," Tikki smiled.

"I can't tell them everything, Tikki. You know that."

"Oh, come ooon, Wayzz. It'll be more motivation to find the last three Miraculous holders."

"There's the Vexxa we know and love."

"Shut up, Plagg. Go eat some cheese."

The humans in the room laughed at the Kwamis' antics, before Nino spoke up.

"So what is it, little dude?" Nino asked. "This thing Tikki wants us to know."

Wayzz sighed, crossing his tiny arms. "If all seven Miraculouses are active at once, and you all train and trust each other no matter what - and I really mean no matter what - the time before you detransform will lengthen. It could go on for ten or even twenty minutes, but! If there is any break or doubt in trust, the time will shorten again." He shook his head. "Not since the first holders have all seven been active at the same time. It's unheard of, but my previous holder believes there will be reason to have you all prepared."

Marinette looked at Wayzz for a moment. "Master Fu was right, wasn't he? We have a war starting soon."

Wayzz looked up with sad eyes, nodding.

"Looks like you two need help finding the rest of our teammates," Alya said, adjusting her glasses with a grin.


	2. Pawsitively Purrfect

It had been nearly a month, and all the four teens could manage to do was form a second list. Thankfully Tom and Sabine had been understanding and let them all come and go as they pleased, but it was getting a bit ridiculous.

During their lunch break one afternoon, Tom and Sabine greeted the four of them at the door to the house above the bakery. They directed them into the living room and stood as the four of their children sat on the couch.

"You're not in trouble," Tom began, unable to take their wary glances much longer, "but we're worried about you."

"You come home for lunch and none of you eat anything," Sabine said, her tone a little stricter than Tom's, which wasn't really saying much. "How can you expect to take care of Paris and each other, when you can't take care of yourselves."

"As parents of superheroes, we know we can't ask too many questions, but we want you to know you can come to us at anytime, if you need anything at all," Tom continued. "However, if you don't take a break and eat something, we're going to have to force you."

The four exchanged glances, mostly three pairs of eyes landed on Marinette.

"Maman, Papa, we’re fine, honestly," Marinette smiled, standing and hugging the both of them. "I know the late hours worry you, and you're both light sleepers-"

"We've been trying to keep the noise down, promise," Nino piped up.

"But soon the mansion renovations will be finished," Marinette continued, despite the interruption. "I know you'll worry even more when we're away from here, but with having to find three more…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"It's fine, dear; we know you have to keep a lot from us," Sabine smiled, though it seemed halfway forced. "Just remember that your whole team is welcome here at anytime." She looked around at the four of them, her heart swelling will love and worry. She opened her arms. "Come on, bring it in."

Smiles filled the room as a group hug was initiated. It was cut off by Tom to make the four of them eat a rather expansive lunch - expansive if only because of the little extras for the Kwamis.

No one really found it odd at how accepting and loving the Dupain-Chengs were being about the whole teenage superhero thing; it was just how Tom and Sabine were. They welcomed them all into their home with open arms and open hearts, and they especially did so with Adrien. They knew Marinette was fond of him before the event, but afterwards, the two were nearly inseparable. They knew the two needed each other, and truth be told, if it had to be anyone, they were glad it was Adrien.

Sometimes, Tom and Sabine would stay up at night talking, waiting for at least Marinette and Adrien to come home. They worried that perhaps they were too reliant on the other, but then on the days where they had to be separated it was as if life had been drained from their eyes. It wasn't that they relied on each other too much, but that they were quite literally two halves of a whole. They had always been drawn to each other, and now they had the chance to be together and they were going to hold onto it as long as they could.

Once the teens retreated to Marinette's room for the last half of their lunch, taking the cheese, cookies, tea, and fine cut bacon with them, the four Kwamis buzzed from their hiding places. Tikki from Marinette's purse, Plagg from Adrien's overshirt pocket, Wayzz from Nino's hat, and Vexxa from Alya's school bag.

"You know you don't have to hide from them," Marinette chuckled, plopping in her desk chair, handing Tikki a cookie.

"We know, Marinette," Tikki took a small bite of the sweet treat. "We're just not used to having non-Miraculous holders knowing of our existence. Your parents are very nice and accepting, but…"

"But most people? Nah." Vexxa said around a bite of bacon. "You can't imagine how many times parents or spouses have found out and tried to just - WHAM -" She motioned a downward slap motion with her tiny free hand. "Some people are just violent."

"Well, Marinette did trap me inside a glass when I first appeared," Tikki shrugged. "I figured it made her more comfortable."

"Plagg just started trying eat everything in my room, asking if it was cheese," Adrien shrugged, making a face at the cat Kwami laying on the floor, stomach full of Camembert.

Wayzz looked from holder to holder to holder, and then to his own. He sat in front of the small teacup, happy for its calming aroma. "It's just out of habit that we stay hidden, Marinette."

"I always wondered how we never figured out it was you two," Alya said, watching as her own Kwami sat on her shoulder. "But after transforming, it's almost hard to recognize yourself." She smiled and used a finger to scratch between Vexxa's ears.

"You've transformed?" Nino raised an eyebrow.

"You haven’t?" Alya mirrored his expression. "It's exhilarating. A lot of power, but it's kind of exhausting turning back."

"That's just because you're not used to it," Vexxa grinned, finishing her last piece of bacon.

Nino shrugged, "Little dude here has just been telling about the pros and cons of being the next Guardian." He looked at Wayzz and smiled, yet it wasn't one of his usual smiles. "I know that once I transform, I'll gain more knowledge just from the previous Guardians." He shook his head and looked at his hands. "And I'm not too sure I'm ready for that yet."

Wayzz floated up and placed a small hand on Nino's cheek. "I'm following your pace Mast- Nino." He returned to his half empty cup of tea.

Alya watched Nino, smiling slightly at him and throwing an arm over his shoulders. "We believe in you, Nino. Take your time, we still have to find three more holders."

Nino's eyes widened just slightly at how not-brash Alya's words were. Maybe he'd be ready sooner rather than later. He looked at Marinette, meeting her too-understanding bright blue eyes. He made a mental note to talk to her later about how she knew she was ready to commit to being Ladybug.

"I was thinking about that last night," Adrien said. "And, unfortunately, I feel like we may need Nino to become the new Guardian to find them. Every name we've mentioned, every person we've looked at…" He shook his head. "I know it may not seem like we're in much danger now, but I do believe we need to find the final three so we have time to train and trust as a team before the war begins."

The other three humans and all the Kwamis in the room nodded in silence.

"It's time to go back," Marinette said after a beat. "We can reconvene after school?" She began to stand, offering her purse for Tikki to fly into.

"I have that newspaper meeting," Alya said as she stood, dusting off her pants and grabbing her bag. Vexxa flew into it after it was on Alya's shoulder.

"And I have to do a shoot," Adrien grumbled, his green eyes flicking to Marinette apologetically. He noticed how she cast her gaze to the floor, her content smile from before gone from her face. He held his hand out to her, kissing the back of it as she accepted it.

The two led the way out of the Dupain-Cheng house and then out of the Bakery. It was silent the entire walk back, Adrien and Marinette's knuckles were both white for how tightly they were holding onto the other. It was surprising that they never cut off the other's circulation with how they clung to each other. The silent walks happened when either of them knew they'd be separated for more than an hour or two.

The rest of classes went off without much of a hitch. The group of four dropped Alya off at the newspaper meeting, they became a group of three until they walked Adrien to the car waiting for him outside.

"Hey."

Marinette looked at Nino for a moment before putting her arms around his neck.

"Mari, you know he always comes home to you," Nino muttered, rubbing lightly between her shoulder blades. "I know saying and knowing don't make the separation any easier, but I hope you can understand I'm trying to be comforting."

Marinette giggled just slightly, pulling her face away from Nino's chest and looking up at him. "Thank you, Nino." She bent her arm, offering her elbow to him, smiling as he linked his arm with hers. "Where to?"

"Could we go back to your place? I have a few questions I want to ask you…"

Marinette could hear, see, and feel the doubt coming from her dear friend. "I'll do what I can, and Wayzz and Tikki will be there, too." She smiled a little bit as Nino's arm tightened around her own just slightly. A comfortable silence fell around them as they made the familiar walk between the school and her home.

Once in Marinette's room, the two teens sat across from each other on Marinette's bed. Tikki and Wayzz sat in front of their respective holders.

"How did you know?" Nino asked after the two had sat in silence for a good ten minutes.

"Do you want the truth?"

"Seriously Mari?" Nino laughed. "Of course I want the truth."

"I've never known I was ready to be Ladybug," Marinette smiled, a bittersweet notion. She looked down at Tikki and then back at Nino. "We've defeated Hawk Moth, and I still don't think I'm the right choice for Ladybug; I don't think I ever will be, but sometimes…"

"You have to do what must be done." Nino finished for her and nodded, as if to affirm it himself.

"I almost didn't, though," Marinette murmured.

"You almost gave up being Ladybug?" Nino quirked an eyebrow, remembering Tikki mentioning it when he and Alya were chosen to wield their Miraculous.

Marinette nodded and let out a quick, dry laugh. "Tried to give it Alya actually, secretly - let her find it on her own. But she ran after the akuma - you remember Stoneheart? - with her camera and left the bag I put the earrings in. I've probably apologized to Tikki countless times."

Nino looked at Marinette. He had always considered her a friend; the four of them hung out together occasionally. He realized she probably didn't let too many people, if anyone, see this side of her. He looked from his friend to the small red Kwami; she was probably the only living thing that had seen this side of Marinette. She looked so vulnerable, so torn down.

"How about we do a patrol?"

Marinette's eyes flicked up to Nino, glinting with concern, curiosity, and a hint of excitement. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I'll ever be," Nino smiled, hopping off of her bed and holding out his hand. "C'mon dude, let's do this."

Marinette's smile lit up her face as she nodded and took his extended hand. She knew there was no need for a patrol, even though she and Adrien still did them sometimes out of habit, but if it was what was needed for Nino to finally transform she'd do it.

"Tikki, spots on." Marinette's voice was calm as Tikki flew into her earrings, the five spots appearing.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," Nino chuckled, shaking his head. He looked at Wayzz, blinking and swallowing the doubt before holding his arm up, bracelet facing outward. "Wayzz, shell on."

Nino's mask seemed to actually be some kind of dark green helmet with a see-through orange visor over his eyes. His outfit was textured green leather, similarly cut to Chat's suit, but his dark brown-green boots were bulkier. Around his forearms and hands were what looked like heavy duty leather strips wrapped around each other - almost like the bandaging under boxing gloves. On his back rested a shield.

"Lookin' sharp, Jade Turtle," Ladybug grinned. She climbed through the window to her balcony, extending her hand to her friend. She hefted him to the balcony, cracking the window. "Think you can keep up?"

"I have a feeling we're about to find out," Jade Turtle grinned. He felt power rushing through his legs; his Miraculous may have been a Turtle, but he knew he was nowhere near slow. He watched as Ladybug looped her yo-yo around a nearby chimney and swung off. He took a second, drew in a breath, and pushed off of the balcony. He landed next to Ladybug, joining her and running beside her along the rooftop.

"Not bad for a first timer~!" Ladybug called as she swung off once again, laughing.

Jade Turtle watched where she landed before using his momentum to jump a bit higher to land just behind her. He looked around the city of Paris, taking in the view from a new perspective.

The two raced from the Bakery to the Eiffel Tower, only resting once they had come to the top.

"Woah, dude…"

Ladybug laughed, leaning against Jade. She smiled and took in a deep breath. "Patrol never fails to make us feel free."

"Even with all of the new information," Jade said after a moment, leaning his head down on top of Ladybug's. "I feel like I've made the right choice. I'm honored that you and Adrien - Chat?"

"They're the same person," Ladybug grinned. "Just don't use our civilian names during a fight and we'll all be alright."

"Either way, I'm glad you trust me and Alya enough to let us help you." Jade looked at the small turtle shell communicator he pulled from a belt around his waist. "Alya and Adrien should be finishing up soon, do we want to surprise them with dinner?"

Ladybug smiled and nodded, "Maman and Papa had an event to cater," she said as she readied her yo-yo. "Do you know how to cook?"

Jade didn't have a chance to answer as Ladybug swung off toward home. He followed soon after.

Nearly thirty minutes after the two returned to the Dupain-Cheng household, Alya arrived obviously annoyed with whoever she was working with on the paper that day.

Marinette and Nino greeted her at the door, each placing a kiss on a cheek - dissipating the negativity Alya had been emitting.

Alya watched with wide eyes as the two returned to the kitchen. She set her bag down, smiling as Vexxa flew out, and plopped at the dining table. She grinned, quite amused as Marinette and Nino bumped into each other and sassed and joked around.

"What's for dinner? Smells delicious."

"Adrien~!" Marinette turned from the stove and met him in the kitchen doorway. She threw her arms around his neck.

"You're happy," Adrien murmured into her neck, returning the hug. "Where are Tom and Sabine?"

"They had that big event at the ballroom tonight, remember?" Marinette stepped back from the hug, tip-toeing to kiss the tip of Adrien's nose. She turned and went back to help Nino, only to discover that he had already made plates and was setting the table. "Ninooooo."

Nino laughed, "Mariiiiii." He teased, sticking his tongue out.

Adrien watched the exchange and raised an eyebrow at Alya, who gave a shrug in return. He was happy to see Marinette happy even though they had to be apart, but something felt strange inside him. It wasn't bad, but it was confusing. He took his seat at the table, beside Marinette and across from Alya, Nino sitting beside Alya.

Dinner conversations included Alya's annoying new column writer, Adrien's new photographer (who was so much better than previous ones), and then Jade Turtle's first patrol.

"You transformed?" Adrien smiled. "That's awesome." The two high-fived diagonally across the table, causing the two girls to laugh. Adrien looked at Marinette and touched his nose to hers. "How'd he do, Princess?"

Marinette giggled, pink lighting up her cheeks just slightly. She nuzzled her nose against his before shrugging. "He kept up well enough, and luckily no one seemed to notice us." She looked around the table and smiled. "I know there's really no need for it right now, but maybe the four of us could go out and do a quick patrol after the sun sets."

"I think that's a great idea!" Alya grinned, almost too enthusiastically. "You guys haven't seen me yet." She waggled her eyebrows before laughing.

"Let's just finish dinner first, and we'll go on the patrol before you two," Marinette pointed to Alya and Nino, "have to get home."

Once dinner was finished, Alya and Adrien insisted on doing the dishes since Marinette and Nino had cooked.

"I think I could live like this, don't you?" Nino nudged Marinette gently in the ribs with his elbow.

"A domestic life?" Marinette raised an eyebrow.

"As superheroes, I don't think we'll have that luxury," Alya remarked from the sink as she rinsed and dried a dish Adrien handed to her.

"I'm just saying, the four of us - we'd make one hell of a married couple," Nino shrugged, lacing his fingers behind his head and leaning back in his chair.

"Nino," Adrien shook his head, grinning. "First, a couple means two; second, we’re all only seventeen, we can't get married."

"But you're not opposed to the four of us," Alya moved her arm in a circle, pointing to each of them in turn, "living a domestic life together?"

Adrien shrugged, "I trust the three of you with my life; you're the most important people to me. If that's what we become, then that's what we become." He mussed up Alya's hair, causing her swat at him with the dish towel in her hands. "Ah! Ladybug, save me, save me!"

Marinette laughed, jumping from her seat at the kitchen table. However, instead of going to Adrien's side to help him, she grabbed another towel and joined Alya.

"You wound me, my lady," Adrien said, his tone dramatic.

Nino grabbed a placemat from the table and jumped in front of Adrien, using the placemat to defend the two of them from the girls' onslaught.

When Tom and Sabine walked into their home, they found the four teens a laughing heap in the living room floor, limbs tangled around each other.

"There are left overs from the event, if you need any snacks," Sabine smiled.

"We also made dinner; there's some in the fridge," Marinette replied from underneath the pile of bodies. She pushed the two boys and Alya off of her and gave her parents each a hug. "We're going to go on a patrol, and then Adrien and I will be home."

Sabine nodded. "We're going to lock the doors, leave your balcony window open." She kissed Marinette's cheek as Tom kissed the top of their daughter's head. "Okay all of you, pre-patrol hugs, c'mere."

The pile of long legs and lanky arms untangled themselves and walked over to the Dupain-Chengs, each receiving a hug in turn before the four of them went up the stairs to Marinette's room.

"Everyone ready?" Marinette looked around the room, grabbing onto Adrien's hand.

"Tikki, spots on!"

"Plagg, claws out!"

"Wayzz, shell on!"

"Vexxa, fangs out!"

The four superheroes grinned as they looked at each other. Marinette and Adrien were both relieved to see that with Alya as Volpina, the outfit was a bit different.

It looked more like Marinette's Ladybug suit, yet the middle was cream and the rest was a crisp orange with a slight fuzzy texture; a black belt hung at an angle on her hips with a tail-shaped communicator hooked to it. Slim black boots came up to just below her knees and black gloves reached near her elbows. An orange mask with a black outline was around her eyes, a fluffy tail came from her lower back, and pointed orange ears with black tips sat atop her head. She had her flute attached similarly to how Chat carried his staff.

"Kick ass," Nino grinned, giving two thumbs up.

Alya rolled her eyes playfully in response, shaking her head and causing the two front chunks to swish. They had a black band around them about an inch from the bottom. She had let her hair grow out to just below her shoulders, so where most of her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, the front bits had been tied in traditional Volpina style.

"Let's go," Ladybug grinned, hopping out onto her balcony. She sure hoped none of the neighbors were around, much like she hoped when it was just her swinging off to save Paris or to patrol. Though, four masked superheroes all emerging from one teenage girl's room would be a bit stranger.

Chat Noir was the first one out after Ladybug. "Where to first, Bugaboo?"

"Jade and I did from here to the tower earlier today, but it couldn't hurt to do it again, hmm? And then we can do sections three and four?" Ladybug tilted her head, looking at her partner.

Grinning, Chat nodded, "Sound _paws ___itively _purrfect_." He chuckled as he got the response he wanted - Ladybug's signature 'please stop' eye roll.

"Silly kitty," Ladybug shook her head as Jade Turtle and Volpina joined them on the balcony. 

Volpina left the window propped open before turning to her teammates. "Lead the way." Her grinned was contagious, and it was quite obvious she was full of energy. She pulled her flute from its place and played a single note, turning it into a cream version of Chat's staff. "Useful, huh?" 

"Off we go," Ladybug chuckled, launching herself into the air toward the Eiffel Tower. 

The four of them made their way to the top rather quickly. There was really no activity besides tourists and the normal bustle of the city at night. 

"Is that Ladybug up there?" 

"With Chat Noir?" 

"There's more up there with them!" 

"More superheroes?" 

"Are we in danger?" 

Ladybug looked at her teammates and shrugged. "It was inevitable." She attached her yo-yo to the tower securely and swung down to the ground. "Hello~!" 

"Ladybug!" 

Chat landed beside Ladybug and draped an arm over her shoulders, still slightly surprised when she didn't brush it off like she used to do. 

"Chat Noir!" 

There were phones being pulled from pockets, cameras being turned on as Volpina landed next to Chat and Jade landed next to Ladybug. 

"Who are you two?" 

Volpina winked, grinning. "Volpina, at your service." She dipped into a low bow, her head looking as if it would touch her legs. 

"Jade Turtle," Jade nodded just slightly; he was obviously even less all about the media attention than Ladybug was. 

"There are four of you now, why is that? Is the city in danger? You defeated Hawk Moth, so what's the need for more superheroes?" 

"One question at a time, _efurry_ thing will be explained in time," Chat let his signature grin take over his features. "We're simply doing patrols; not all baddies are akuma." He looked at his lady and then his teammates. "Time to finish up?" 

The four of them each took their own way off the ground, reaching the next rooftop, but not stopping until they were a few buildings away. They split into groups of two, Marinette taking Alya and Adrien taking Nino, patrolling a different section before meeting back at the Bakery. They dropped into Marinette's bedroom, all dropping their transformations before parting ways. 

Adrien nuzzled his head into the crook of Marinette's neck, his arms around her waist as they laid in her bed. Marinette's arm wrapped around Adrien's shoulders lazily, her other arm draped over her closed eyes. 

"What made Nino decide to finally transform?" Adrien's word were mumbled and laced with exhaustion. 

"Finding out that I'm still not truly sure I'm ready to be Ladybug, even two years in," Marinette answered quietly. She moved her arm just slightly away from her eyes as she felt Adrien tense up beside her. Her gaze drifted from him to the two Kwamis asleep on the pillow next to her, seeing as Adrien's pillow was her. 

"You're the only Ladybug Paris needs; you're the only Ladybug I need," Adrien murmured. "My Marinette." 

Marinette smiled softly, running tired fingers through his mussed up hair. "Your Marinette?" She chuckled. 

"Mmm," Adrien mumbled into her neck, causing her to giggle. 

"Stop that, silly cat; it tickles," Marinette wiggled just slightly, smiling at Adrien's tired groan. "I can think of two people who may not agree that I'm totally yours." 

"Mm-mm," Adrien shook his head as best as he could with half of it buried in Marinette's hair. "My Mari, they can't fully have you." 

"You may be right about that," Marinette said quietly. "Just remember that you have to share sometimes. That's just how this thing works now, I guess." 

"Mine." 

"Yes, kitty, yours. Now sleep," Marinette stayed awake until she heard his breath even out, signaling him falling into deep sleep. 

"You can't sleep, can you?" Tikki whispered. 

Marinette shook her head. "I love him, Tikki, you know that, but…" 

"But what if he's not the only one you're meant to be with?" 

Marinette nodded. 

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki smiled her knowing smile. "Miraculous holders have always had this problem, though I wouldn't really call it a problem. Of course Ladybugs and Chat Noirs have always been the closest to each other, but all seven, when wielded properly, have a bond that can't be broken. No matter how many times a true wielder has tried to run, they always come back. Love manifests in many ways, and you will have a chance to learn that. You know you love Adrien, but you also love Alya and Nino, and you will love the other three that are chosen to be on your team." 

Marinette blinked back tears, nodding to her Kwami. "Thank you, Tikki." She kissed the top of Tikki's head, between her antennae. "Goodnight." 

"Goodnight Marinette." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I wanted to update week to week, or something like that, but I'm trash and can't help this. I have two more chapters after this already written and I'm about to start chapter five.
> 
> Here are the designs I have in mind for Alya, Nino, Nath, Rose, and Juleka. Even though the last three don't really show up until the next chapter. Oh well: http://moonbugpresence.tumblr.com/post/145829360891
> 
> Also, follow me on tumblr there if ya feel like it. Let me know whatcha think of this chapter.
> 
> =^.^=


	3. One Big Happy Family

Marinette wasn't entirely sure about why she was the one chosen to ask him. Nino had told them who to give the Peacock Miraculous to, and honestly, Marinette could understand why. She just didn't know why the team had decided to send her to recruit the fifth member of the team: Miraculous Seven, Nino was calling them - Adrien didn't like it because he couldn't make any puns or jokes from it.

"H-Hey, Nathanael."

"Marinette? What's up?" The redhead looked up from the panel he was drawing, swishing a chunk of hair from his face.

"I was wondering, well this is the first year we're not really in the same class, and we - Alya, Nino, Adrien, and I - kind of missed hearing about your comics. You used to talk to us about it all the time, and well, I was wondering if you’d like to join us for lunch at my place?"

Nathanael watched Marinette as she spoke. She was nervous; since when was she nervous to talk to him? Something was up, and as much as he wanted to spend his lunch break looking through more reference images for his comics, he wanted even more to know what was up with Marinette suddenly asking him to join her and her group for lunch.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Just let me get my things together," Nathanael smiled just slightly as he stood, gathering his pencils and paper into his bag. He slung it over his shoulder with one hand and motioned with the other. "Lead the way."

Marinette returned his smile, walking back over to the other three superheroes. They all chatted as they walked to the bakery. There was a plate of snacks waiting for them on Marinette's desk when they arrived up the stairs; Marinette's parents had two events and a date that day.

"I kind of feel like this is an intervention of sorts," Nathanael attempted to joke, looking around at the people he considered friends. Of course, they weren't really close to him, and he knew that he and Adrien had a bit of a jealousy spell between them for a while the previous year.

The five were sitting in a circle in Marinette's floor, and though Marinette felt that her home was the safest place to do reveals and the bestowing of Miraculous, she noticed that her room was becoming smaller with each new addition. She sat next to Adrien, and the two of them were across from Nathanael; Alya sat next to Marinette, across the circle from Nino beside Adrien.

"There's really no easy way to go into this, so I guess we'll just jump right in," Marinette clasped her hands together. "I'm Ladybug, and Adrien is Chat Noir."

"Yeah?" Nathanael seemed to urge them to go on, to tell him something he didn't know. "And I was the Evillustrator because I let Chloe get to me."

Adrien's eyes widened, realizing that Nathanael was either the most chill person in the world, or he had figured it out way before Adrien or Marinette did.

"So, you two are Ladybug and Chat Noir, then that means that you two are the new superheroes: Volpina and JadeTur- oh no you are not trying to drag me into this mess," Nathanael held his hands up in a defensive 'I surrender' kind of way.

"Nath, listen, we wouldn't do this if we didn't have to, but the Miraculous chose you and we have to listen to it," Marinette tried to explain.

"I don't want to be a superhero, Mari; I want to stay in my little apartment, in my room, and create comics."

"Dude, if you're a superhero, you can create even _better_ comics," Nino interjected. "Look, man, no one ever really wants to be a superhero-"

"Speak for yourself," Alya and Adrien muttered at the same time, sharing a quick grin and a fist bump.

Nino narrowed his eyes just slightly at the two before continuing, "But the Miraculous wants what the Miraculous wants, and it's destiny and all that jazz."

Nathanael looked at Nino with curious eyes, wondering how the goofball managed to become wiser within a few weeks. He tapped his chin with a long index finger, sighing after a few moments of silence. "Fine."

Marinette nearly vibrated with energy as she and Adrien turned to take the box from its hiding place. She pulled the Peacock pin, having become folded in its inactive state, from the box and held it out to Nathanael.

Nathanael gingerly took it in his hands, jumping just slightly as the one feather spread into nine. He watched as a flash of blue-green left a small big-headed, small-bodied creature floating just in front of his face. It was a seafoam green color with a tiny yellow beak, a feather-like antenna sticking out of its head, and a train of blue and green feathers coming from its back.

"I'm Paavo," the small creature waved.

"Um…?" Nathanael looked around at the others in the room. He pointed at Paavo.

"That's your Kwami," Nino said. "We all have one. I have Wayzz, Alya has Vexxa, Mari has Tikki, and Adrien has Plagg - honestly, we're all lucky if we don't have Plagg."

"Thanks," Adrien muttered, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"No problem, bro," Nino grinned, shooting his best friend double pistol fingers before turning his attention back to Nathanael and the situation at hand. "He turns you into a superhero, grants your powers and stuff."

"All you have to do is say my name and 'Feathers Out', and then you're a superhero," Paavo smiled. "You, like everyone else, have a special ability. Though, yours is particularly interesting."

"Give me a second, I'm still on the 'I'm Paavo' part," Nathanael said, one hand on his chest and the other holding up a finger to the Kwami.

Paavo rolled his eyes and sighed, "Anyway, your ability is called Wishing Well, and it allows you to boost a teammates special power, or give them a second one if they've already used it. However, you cannot use it to help Ladybug or Chat Noir. Due to the nature of your ability, you have a longer time amount before you transform back." The tiny fairy creature tapped on the pin Nathanael had attached to the inside of his jacket. "Where everyone else has five minutes, you have nine."

Nathanael nodded, slowly taking in the information and committing it to memory. He looked at his Kwami, and ran two fingers from the top of Paavo's head to the tips of his tails. "So I'm going to be a superhero now, this'll be interesting." He paused a moment as Paavo situated himself in Nathanael's bight red locks. "Wait. Why am I needed if Hawk Moth is gone - he is gone, right?"

Adrien's fists clenched, knuckles going white before Marinette carefully took one of his hands into her own.

"Yes. He is, but we may soon have bigger fish to fry," Marinette smiled just slightly, trying to be encouraging. She knew not everyone would be as ready for this as Adrien and Alya, but Nathanael seemed less for the idea than Nino and Marinette had been to begin with.

"You had to do this at lunchtime, huh?" Nathanael cracked a grin, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry, we all have engagements after class," Marinette shrugged apologetically. "Though, you can always go mess around with your transformation on your own. We'll have a training ground soon, and the final two members of our team."

Nino nodded, tapping his temple. "I already have them in mind; it gets easier, surprisingly."

"Looks like we should head back, we have that physics test today, remember?" Adrien stood from the floor, offering his hands to each of the girls. He helped them stand, turning to leave the room.

Once the five of them were downstairs and out of the Bakery, Marinette jumped onto Adrien's back with no warning. No warning was needed, as smoothly as the piggy backing commenced. Marinette jumped up with her arms going around Adrien's neck and her legs going around his waist, and he didn't even miss a step as he continued his walk, arms hooking under Marinette's legs.

Nathanael was impressed, to say the least. Of course, he knew they were Ladybug and Chat Noir; he had known since they defeated and rescued him from being the Evillustrator, and had had a raging crush on the both of them ever since. He was able to keep it quiet, reserved inside himself. He had told his own two best friends, of course, and they offered for him to join their "cuddle puddles" as they called them. He enjoyed it; he loved both Rose and Juleka, and he loved how much they loved each other.

To say he felt as if pieces of him were being taken away as the group split up would be an understatement. He glanced down at Paavo hiding in a pocket of his jacket, sleeping. He wondered if it had something to do with the Miraculous; all things considered, spending roughly an hour with four people that had become more acquaintances than friends should not have left him feeling so empty at their temporary departure.

After classes let out, Nathanael went to his apartment. He slung his bag onto the couch in the living room and went to his room, looking at himself in the mirror and tracing his fingers over the pin. "Paavo?"

"Hmm?" The tiny Kwami yawned as he floated out of Nathanael's pocket.

"Feathers out."

A bright blue-green light came over him and when it left, Nathanael was shocked at his own reflection. A skin tight blue-green bodysuit clung to him, long green, blue, and black tail feathers coming from the back. His pin sat attached neatly just below the left side of his collar bone on a deep, royal blue wide belt across his chest; hanging at the bottom of the belt was a communicator. Dark green boots came up to his knees, feathers running up the sides. A blue mask, matching the blue of the belt, sat around his eyes; there were smaller feathers on the right side of it, and his bright red hair had some killer blue tips.

Nathanael twisted and turned, trying to see the entirety of himself. He noticed something, or rather two somethings, attached the belt on his back. He reached behind him and pulled out two folded up fans. He opened them and grinned to himself. The edges were sharp, and the shiny silver-blue color of them was entrancing. He figured if he trained with them enough he could probably throw them as well as use them in close combat.

"Release transformation."

Nathanael caught Paavo. "Did I tire you; do you need anything?"

"Do you have any carrots?" Paavo asked. Truthfully, he wasn't too tired, considering Nathanael hadn't done anything, but he was a bit hungry none the less.

"I'm not sure," Nathanael left his room and walked to the kitchen. He opened the fridge. "Um… I have some zucchini?"

"It'll work for now; I'm not too picky," Paavo shrugged.

Nathanael cut up part of the zucchini before wrapping the rest and putting it back into the fridge. "Here you go." He set Paavo down next to the plate of the sliced vegetable. He watched as the Kwami took tiny, careful bites. "So, you prefer carrots?"

Paavo nodded. "Every Kwami has a preference, but we'll usually settle for something close to it. Plagg, for example?" He took another bite and continued to talk around it. "That guy loves Camembert more than life itself, but he'll settle for nearly any cheese. Tikki likes chocolate chip cookies, but she'll eat cake if she has to."

Nathanael placed the tidbits of information in his brain notebook for a later date. "So they have to find two more Miraculous holders…" He thought out loud as he began pacing his kitchen. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he raised a confused eyebrow as he saw who it was from.

Mari: we're going to talk to the last two members this evening, do you want to come?

 _She still had the same number?_ Nathanael shrugged to himself and replied.

Nath: sure. Your place?

Mari: yup! 6pm! See you then! :)

Nathanael smiled and placed his phone back in his pocket. He looked at the clock; it was currently four in the afternoon. "Feel free to fly around as you wish; I'm going to take a nap."

Six came around quicker than he thought, and soon Nathanael found himself crammed into Marinette's small - and getting smaller - bedroom. For the second time that day, he was sitting in a circle on the floor with a plate of snacks from the Bakery down below. He sat across from the space between Marinette and Adrien once more; on one side of him was Rose and on the other side was Juleka. Alya sat between Juleka and Marinette, and Nino sat between Rose and Adrien.

It started out just as, if not more, awkward than it had with just Nathanael. It made sense because out of everyone they knew, Rose and Juleka did _not_ seem like the superhero type. But, if anyone were to be chosen, he was glad it was them; they were his best friends, and he couldn't imagine having to keep such a big part of his life from them.

"We want you two to join us," Adrien was the first to speak this time instead of Marinette. He held the box in his lap. "If you refuse, well, we really hope you don't." He tried to force a chuckle, but it came out in a groan. He lifted a golden hair comb from the box and held it out to Rose.

"Is this…?" Rose looked at the comb, innocent eyes wide. She was less terrified now, having grown up quite a bit over the past two years. It didn't mean she had abandoned her need to stay away from violence. Even though her brain said no, her hand reached out and took the comb into her hands. Her hair had grown out just slightly, enough to where she had a small messy ponytail at the nape of her neck. She slipped the comb into her ponytail, jumping as a small yellow and black creature flitted in front of her face.

"Oh, aren't you cute~!"

Rose blinked at the small bee creature. It's big, big blue eyes stared at her in aw. It's small body was black and yellow striped, and it's tiny wings buzzed almost too rapidly for the human eye to see. 

"Sorry, sorry, I'm Biinii - your Kwami!"

Rose blinked again. "Oh. Oh. OH! Oh no, I can't be a superhero; I always go the opposite direction of danger. This is a bad idea!" She looked from Biinii to Marinette and Adrien, her wide eyes never decreasing.

"Rose."

Rose looked to Nino.

"The Miraculous chooses the one who is best to carry it. It will be dangerous, however, I believe - we believe - that you can do this," Nino placed a hand on one of her own. He smiled as she visibly calmed. "I've heard from Wayzz that Biinii is one of the gentlest Kwamis with her charges, so you have nothing to worry about."

Rose smiled softly. "I like bees; they're the most important pollinators."

"Juleka?" Marinette raised an eyebrow.

The purple and black haired girl looked at Marinette with her visible eye.

"Are you ready to be a superhero?"

"Hell yeah!" Juleka grinned, surprising literally the whole room, including her girlfriend. "Hit me with your best shot, Marinette."

Marinette's smile grew before she pulled the Butterfly brooch from its spot in the box. She watched as Adrien closed the box, both of them looking at the brooch.

"Now, Juleka, we don't know how the Kwami will react to having a new holder so soon after its old one," Adrien's words nearly caught in his throat. "So, be easy on them, alright?"

Juleka nodded, carefully taking and attaching the brooch at the center of the neckline of her dress. She looked at the small purple Kwami, cupping her hands as it floated for a moment and then fell, almost defeated.

"Hello there."

The Kwami looked up at Juleka with tired purple eyes. Its antennae twitched and its small wings attempted a tiny flutter.

"Don't strain yourself too much," Juleka smiled, and the other six in the room watched how gentle she was with the tiny fairy creature. "Here." She pulled a small handful of grapes from her bag. She watched as the Kwami cautiously took two of the grapes and ate them. "I'm Juleka."

"I'm Nooroo."

"Nooroo!" Six tiny voices chorused, causing the final of the seven Kwamis' eyes to go wide as they were tackled from Juleka's hand.

Seven small creatures tumbled in a ball across Marinette's floor, different voices muttering and yelling different things. The humans in the room laughed at the antics, Marinette and Adrien realizing that this was the first time in centuries, millennia even, that the seven of them had seen each other all together. After letting the Kwami roll around for a few minutes, Nino cleared his throat.

"Rose and Juleka don't know their powers," the new Guardian said, trying to be serious but breaking after a second and cracking a grin.

Biinii flew back over to Rose. "Right! Oh, I'm so sorry I nearly forgot!" She flitted back and forth nervously for a moment. "So, to transform, just say my name followed by 'Stripes On', okay? And you have a super ability called Pollination that creates this impenetrable barrier. It can get pretty big, and you can use it to protect whoever you want, but it only lasts five minutes."

Nooroo looked at Juleka, blinking a few times.

"I'm not going to hurt you, or force you to do anything you don't want to do," Juleka smiled, using a finger to gently pet Nooroo's head. "If you don't want to tell me right now, I'm fine with it."

At the realization that he had been given to someone with a kind heart, Nooroo perked up. They shook their head, a small smile creeping onto their face. "No, no, it's quite alright. To transform, just say 'Wings Out' after my name, of course. You also have a special ability, and it's a pretty diverse one, too." They paused for a moment and tapped just below their mouth. "It's called Support Beam, and what it does is give your teammates an extra boost of power. Or, you could use to give two teammates an extra use of their own ability; unlike the Peacock holder, your ability _can_ be used to assist Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Juleka's eyes widened. "Wow. That much power."

"It's the same power Hawk Moth used to control people with the akuma," Adrien said, his voice darker than usual.

If they could, Juleka's eyes got wider. She looked from Adrien to Nooroo. "Oh no." She brought Nooroo close to her, as if to hug them.

"Nooroo's ability was once used to temporarily give someone powers so that they could reach their goal," Wayzz spoke up from the smaller inner circle of Kwamis. "They could grant a single person at a time powers to help, say, save a village run by a horrible ruler. It was useful to have, but the Miraculous that Nooroo inhabits has been in the hands of evil for so many generations…"

"I don't… I don't have to go by Hawk Moth, do I?" Juleka very nearly winced at the idea.

"Absolutely not," Nooroo said, nuzzling their head into Juleka's neck. "You can go by whatever you feel fits."

"I like Papillon," Juleka smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last three are now in the family.  
> Sorry I haven't posted this chapter until now. I've been traveling from Alabama to Missouri to Michigan over the past week.  
> But here it is!
> 
> =^.^=


	4. A New Wave

"Nath! Hey, tomato head!"

Nathanael groaned, trying to roll over and shield his eyes from the sun filtering through the curtains. It was to no avail. Standing over him was probably the most bossy duo in the team: Alya and Paavo. Not to be mistaken, he cared for them both - deeply, even; he just still didn't like the idea of getting up with the sun.

"Whaaaat?"

Alya rolled her eyes, her usual grin plastered on her face. "Breakfast time, home skillet; then training." She nodded to Paavo. "Just drag him down when he's ready, like usual."

Nathanael heard her mumble something about 'being worse than Mari' to get up in the mornings, and he chuckled at the memory of Nino and Juleka attempting to wake him, Adrien, and Marinette one morning after they had fallen asleep in the living room together.

When he finally made his way to the kitchen, he was met with a kiss on each cheek: one from Adrien and one from Marinette. He smiled and returned each kiss in turn. It was easy to be with them; hell, it was easy to be with all of them. He looked around and noticed more kisses being exchanged: Nino and Alya, then they both exchanged quick pecks with Adrien and Marinette, then Rose and Juleka before they came to him. He didn't really give much more than hugs to Alya and Nino; he cared for them, loved them, but he wasn't as close to them as he was the other four.

Rose smiled and grabbed Nathanael's wrist. "Nino and Adrien made pancakes!" Her big eyes were sparkling, and she seemed happier than she ever had before. She practically glowed golden. As she sat down, Biinii came to sit on her shoulder, nuzzling into the girl's neck.

Once the seven of them were situated at their seats, each person's respective Kwami near or on them, they began to eat. It was mostly silent, other than some horrible jokes Adrien had found on the internet.

"What's red and smells like blue paint? Red paint!"

A collective of thirteen voices groaned at him.

Adrien looked around the large table, smiling at the collection of humans and kwami around him. This is what a home felt like, that much he knew. The seven of them had taken the first week after classes to move into the newly renovated Agreste Mansion, now dubbed (by Nino) the Miraculous Mansion. No one (except Nino) actually called it anything but home.

The Kwamis had even settled into their own routines over the past month. Tikki would help with meals from time to time, handing ingredients to whoever was cooking at the time. Plagg and Vexxa took care of any mouse problems that would plague the humans - not that there were many. Paavo and Wayzz took to educating the holders on the ways of the Miraculous, while Nooroo and Biinii would chime in from time to time adding little details.

The seven Kwamis took their charges' training very seriously, and since it was summer, time was of the essence. While they all agreed that training in their superhero forms would be useful, Marinette and Tikki had suggested strengthening in their civilian forms first. She and Adrien were already fairly fit from being Ladybug and Chat Noir for two years.

After breakfast was clean up, and then to the training grounds in the backyard.

Adrien and Marinette had planned it out, and the contractors did not disappoint. It was a large courtyard area, covered by a breathable yet protective dense mesh about twenty-five feet up above them. There were some sparring dummies, some weights, and other obstacle courses. Biinii, Nooroo, and Tikki would lead meditation after breakfast once they were all outside, and then once more before dinner. Lunch break would signal the end of civilian training, and once they were done eating, the seven of them would transform and do more rigorous training - mostly as a group, running formations and strategies.

To see Rose as Bumble Bee was an amazing sight. Her black and yellow striped dress was barely knee length, but her knee high black boots made up for anything that would make her self conscious. Black fingerless gloves protected her hands and lower wrists, making it easier to shoot her arrows. A black mask with a single yellow stripe across the middle horizontally outlined her eyes, and nearly transparent wings came from her mid-back. A communicator was attached to the black strip of leather around her hips that also held her quiver.

The first time Juleka transformed into Papillon, everyone had waited with bated breath. Black over-the-knee boots clung to her legs, flaring just slightly at the top; black shorts peeked out from underneath a high-low vest that was purple on the sides and around the back and dark grey in the middle of the front. A high collar came up her neck, her brooch situated securely at her collarbone; dark grey gloves came to her mid-upper arm. The mask was grey in the shape of butterfly wings, outlined in a light purple.

The seven superheroes were a sight to see as they ducked and dodged around and through each other, catching and balancing one another. They were a well-oiled machine of trust and love, and the need to protect each other.

"Why don't we try practicing our abilities?" Volpina suggested after the physical part of their hero training was finished. They tried to switch it up every other day, but they never really touched on the most taxing power they each possessed.

Ladybug shifted her weight from one foot to the other, biting her lower lip and looking to the ground. "I… I don't know."

"Aw, come on, LB," Volpina grinned and lifted her best friend's chin, making hazel eyes meet bluebell. She placed a quick peck on Ladybug's lips before taking a step back. "Just once?"

"Yeah, and then we'll let the little dudes rest and have as much of their favorite food as they want," Jade Turtle added.

"Don't say that or Plagg will eat literally all of the cheese in the house," Chat Noir teased. He looked at Peacock, Bumble Bee, and Papillon. "What do you think?"

"It _would_ be nice to know what they do before this whole big battle happens," Bumble Bee said sheepishly. She shrugged. "I'm not too sure how we would test Peacock and Papillon's though."

"Easy," Papillon smiled slightly, "just let someone else use their ability, and then we'll give our support and see if they can use it again." She linked arms with Peacock, who nodded and mirrored her small smile.

"We're at home; it couldn't hurt." Peacock agreed.

Ladybug slowly smiled, nodding. "Then let's do this! Lucky Charm!" A small bit of rope appeared in her hand and she shrugged, throwing it around an unused support structure laying across the courtyard from them.

"Cataclysm!" Chat held the bad luck energy in his hand for a moment before using it on the beam Ladybug had her rope around.

"Wow. Rude," Ladybug teased, pulling the rope back toward her.

"Fox Fire!" Ten copies of Volpina appeared around her. "Cool." She knew the clones would only last for a few minutes, but she was sure in the heat of battle it came at an advantage to have multiples of yourself.

"Cool is right," Jade Turtle grinned suggestively, rubbing the back of his neck before he called upon his own ability. "Force Field!" He looked around, focusing on his six teammates, he closed his eyes and once they opened, he could sense the protective shields around all of them. He felt as each shield left that his energy was drained a little more. 

"Pollination!" Bright yellow and orange spores burst from Bumble Bee's hands, placing a barrier in front of the Volpina clones as if they were civilians. She watched as Ladybug tossed the rope toward the spore wall and smiled brightly as it bounced right off of it as if it were steel. "Oh, wonderful!"

Papillon and Peacock exchanged a glance.

"Support Beam/Wishing Well!"

Papillon used her ability to transfer power to Ladybug and Chat Noir, just to make sure it would work if it there ever came a time where a second Lucky Charm or Cataclysm was needed.

Peacock transferred his energy into Bumble Bee's protective barrier. The spores grew a little larger and spread out more, covering more ground while retaining its original strength. He was happy with it; he felt like protecting civilians would be their goal in the end, in any case. He felt that Jade Turtle's shield would last the heroes themselves long enough to finish off whatever evil came toward them.

Ladybug and Chat looked at each other, a sudden spark hitting them at the same time. They looked at Papillon before turning back to each other. They laced their hands together and call upon their abilities once more. It worked. A second Lucky Charm appeared and Chat was able to destroy one more thing.

Exhaustion came quickly afterwards, however, and Ladybug threw both charms into the air at once, calling upon the Cure. It fixed the training area just before the seven heroes were forced from their transformations. Humans collapsed, catching their Kwamis as they did so.

"I think," breathed Alya, "that's enough for today."

"Couldn't agree more," Nathanael said, letting Paavo rest on his chest.

The seven of them lay sprawled in the training ground for nearly an hour before they had enough energy to stand and file into the large house.

Marinette and Alya retrieved the premade portion packs of Kwami treats from their stashes in the kitchen, keeping each other propped up as they returned to the living room. The wrap around couch was already full of bodies trying to cool down.

"Ok, ok, what was the rule about the furniture?" Marinette sighed, trying to be stern but honestly being way too tired. She squeaked as Adrien pulled her down on top of him and Nathanael. She tried to give them a stern glare, but it was quickly washed away as two pairs of lips met on top of her own.

It was relieving to say the least, when they all managed to fall into their own little grooves. No one ever officially stated anything or asked what they were. Everyone knew that Rose and Juleka were in love with each other, that Nino and Alya had been dating for a while, and that Adrien and Marinette were quite literally two sides of the same coin - with Nathanael smushed between them. No one doubted their love for anyone else in their group. It was a love that, honestly, transcended any normal human love. Maybe it was with the help of the Kwamis - now eating or drinking their preferred recovery and comfort item - and maybe it was just how they were meant to be.

The first month of living together had been a confusing, jumbled mess. There was jealousy, at first, when it seemed like one person in a smaller group would be drifting toward someone else in another smaller group. Once it was discovered and discussed, however, everything clicked - personally, anyway. The training schedule took another week or two to fall into, and most of the time they still weren't happy with it. Bruises and cuts had become fewer and farther between, and though their civilian selves didn't move as gracefully as they hoped, they more than made up for it once transformed.

Soon the group dispersed to take their showers before Tikki gathered them for their evening meditation and then dinner.

"Ah!" Marinette gasped as she pulled her tank top over her head.

"I told you not to push it; you may be able to fool everyone else, Mari," Adrien came up behind her and ran gentle fingers over the bruise that was Marinette's left shoulder blade.

"I'm fine, Adrien," Marinette leaned slightly into his touch, chuckling as his arms snaked their way around her waist and his head found the perfect crook in her neck.

"He's right, y'know."

The two turned to see Nathanael walking toward them, half naked with a towel around his waist and his red hair still damp. He held out an ice pack.

Marinette's eyes softened and she smiled. "You two really shouldn't worry about me so much."

"As if you'd listen if we told you the same thing, Minnie," Nathanael gave a playful wink. He had taken to calling her Minnie in reference to Minnie Mouse because of the red and polka dots; Marinette had told him that didn't make any sense, but it didn't deter his drive to use the nickname.

Marinette took the ice pack, bringing Nathanael's hand to her face and kissing his palm.

Despite the entwined nature of the group's dynamic, they still had separate rooms and their own bathroom. It didn't mean they always slept in their own beds, but it was always an option when they needed their space.

Nathanael sat with Adrien on the couch in Marinette's room as she showered, and then Nathanael and Marinette sat while Adrien showered. After they were all clean, they put on simple lounge clothes and sat in a triangle on the Marinette's large pink-blanketed bed. There was still a half hour until meditation, and Marinette was content to just stay how she was until then; however, Nathanael and Adrien exchanged a glance and moved to be on either side of Marinette, slightly behind her.

"What are you doing?" Marinette raised an eyebrow.

"You'll see." Nathanael grinned.

"Meditation~!" Came Tikki's voice as she flitted down the hall, Biinii in tow.

Marinette smiled at her reflection as she stood up. Her boyfriends had pulled her hair into two French braids. She gave them each a kiss and took their hands, leading them down to the basement of the mansion.

It was an expansive basement, and part of it had been renovated to look like a large dance practice room. The floor was hardwood and mirrors lined one entire wall. The seven sat in a circle, their Kwamis floating in the air above them as Tikki began the meditation.

With eyes closed and minds and hearts open, the seven teenagers felt each of the energies around them. They let down their own barriers and allowed each other's energies to flow through each of them. Without prompting, hands were locked together simultaneously. A spark ignited, hearts jolted, and the energy sped up momentarily before slowly, oh so slowly, returning to a lulling pace before coming once more to a complete stop. When they opened their eyes, each charge was met with wide eyes from their respective Kwami.

Manifested in front of them were their weapons; however, none of them had transformed.

Tikki and Plagg made eye contact, big eyes wide before they tackled each other, tumbling end over end through the air before lightly thudding on the ground.

Wayzz and Nooroo nodded to each other, smiles spreading across their tiny faces.

"Hell yeah!" Vexxa did a series of backflips through the air as Paavo and Biinii simply watched; Paavo seemed almost impressed and Biinii looked as if she could cry the happiest tears in the world.

"Hey little dudes," Nino piped up, "not to interrupt your obvious celebration, but - what just happened?" He looked from the Kwamis to his shield, running his fingers over it to make sure it was real.

Wayzz cleared his throat, trying to get the attention of cuddle-wrestling ladybug and black cat Kwamis.

"Oh, right!" If Tikki could turn any redder, she probably would have.

"This is great progress," Wayzz said, nodding. "Your trust in one another is absolutely astounding. We haven't seen this since the first holders." He looked around the group before his eyes landed on his own holder; his eyes showed more than his words were letting on, but he truly believed in letting the young heroes work things out on their own as much as possible. "It looks like Master Fu was right in letting Marinette and Adrien choose; he chose the perfect Ladybug and Chat Noir to lead this team."

"So our trust is what made us able to conjure our weapons even while being in civilian form?" Alya questioned, holding her flute tightly in one hand. She closed her eyes and imagined it as two sais, opening her eyes to see it had listened to her request and transformed.

"Yes," Paavo answered, "however, it won't last as long as when you're transformed. Not yet, anyway. It relies on your stamina as a civilian. Meaning, at this juncture, Marinette and Adrien have the best chance of keeping their weapon active in civilian form."

"There's something else," Marinette said, looking in front of her and then around the circle. Communicators sat all around them - separate from their weapons, a new thing for her and Adrien at least. Each communicator looked like a circular make-up compact with a distinctive design for each of them: red with ladybug spots, a green paw in a black abyss, black turtle shell lines over flat green, cream fang outlines in orange, blue and green feathers, black and yellow stripes, and light purple butterflies in a sea of darker purple.

"Those will stay no matter what," Nooroo said. They flew around to each one. "You can contact each other now, even if only one or two of you are transformed. You can let anyone else, or everyone else, know your location and the situation before you get there."

"Like long distance walkie-talkies! Cool," Nino grinned.

"These would have been convenient a long time ago, huh Princess?" Adrien grinned.

"So you could have pestered me even when we were out of costume? No thanks," Marinette teased, bumping her shoulder against Adrien's as he pouted at her. "You know I love you, Kitty."

"Maybe you would have found out the other's identity sooner," Alya nodded, picking up the communicator and turning it over in her hands. She let out a breath and her weapon vanished. Everyone else's soon followed; as predicted, the yo-yo and staff stayed the longest.

After dinner and a little more rest, the group took up their transformations and left the mansion through a secret entrance that had been co-opted for their hero escapades. They split up to take different sections of the city to patrol, Ladybug and Chat Noir loving the idea of extra eyes on the city. The group always met at the top of the Eiffel Tower after ending their individual patrols.

"Nothing more than an almost robbery," Volpina groaned, bored. It wasn't that she didn't like how peaceful the city had become, she just didn't have much else to fill her free time with since there was no updating the Ladyblog since the appearance of Volpina and Jade Turtle. No one had spotted Peacock, Bumble Bee, or Papillon yet.

"There's more!?"

Damn it.

"Looks like it's time for you three to meet the media," Chat grinned. "They can get a bit _catty_ , so watch yourself." He was the first to make the descent from the tower, chuckling as his teammates followed.

While the civilians asked questions and filmed the group of superheroes, something in her peripheral caught Papillon's eye. She quietly stepped back and away from the group of people, tapping Ladybug's shoulder silently and also leading her away. No one seemed to notice except their teammates, but they kept attention drawn off of them.

"Pap, what is it?" Ladybug asked quietly, not pushing it as Papillon placed a gloved finger to her lips.

Papillon looked around the alleyway corner, blinking into the darkness. "I saw a shadow."

"It's pitch black over here, how could there be a shadow?"

"I don't know. But it set something off in my gut; Nooroo doesn't like it either." Papillon trailed off for a moment. "I have a feeling we may start our fight soon."

Ladybug and Papillon returned home before the rest of the team, and when the other five came home and destransformed, Marinette and Juleka were sitting in the living room, propped up against the couch. Juleka was curled into Marinette's lap, crying and exhausted.

"Juleka?" Rose's worried voice carried across the room before the nearly ran to be by her girlfriend's side. She gently rubbed the dark-haired girl's back, looking at Marinette for answers.

The rest of them joined in what soon became a quiet cuddle puddle. They had pushed the table father away from the couch so they all had room to fit on the floor with each other.

"I felt it." Juleka said after a while, sniffling just slightly. "I… Nooroo felt it. We were so scared." She shook her head. "It felt like an akumatized butterfly; it felt like when I had been…" She looked at her hands before squeezing her eyes against more tears. "But it was worse. The negativity and the evil radiating off of it - like the residual evil from Hawk Moth manifested…"

Wayzz looked at Nooroo, who was sleeping curled up in Juleka's lap. "That is exactly what it is."

Juleka's attention snapped to Wayzz.

"When Nooroo was finally given to a worthy holder, someone with a pure heart, the evil that had been growing inside the brooch because of misuse was released," Wayzz spoke, using a more gentle tone than his usual factual one. "It is the akuma; it is the evil that Hawk Moth and those before him used to manipulate and hurt and control. It is the accumulated negative feelings of everyone with which it has ever come in contact."

Juleka's orange-brown eyes widened and she shook her head, burying herself in Marinette's neck. "It's my fault."

"No, no. Juleka, it is not your fault," Marinette said sternly, but softly.

"Not even close," Alya agreed.

"Juleka, you couldn't hurt anyone even if you want to," Rose smiled.

"It's the fault of the Hawk Moths who abused the Miraculous - people like my father," Adrien said, one hand clenched in a fist and the other laid supportively on Juleka's knee. "You have purified the Miraculous and have every right to hold its power within you. You are going to be the reason and the way we defeat this evil for good."

Juleka looked at Adrien with watery eyes before shifting in Marinette's lap so that she could hug Adrien without disturbing Nooroo too much.

"But now we know that we have to purify this evil once and for all," Nathanael said. He looked around him and noticed, with the exception of Marinette and Adrien, they had all once been possessed by said evil. He knew it would be a long journey, but he put his faith and his life in his girlfriends and boyfriends - his friends, his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is has been a lot of chapters of build up. I'm currently writing chapter seven, and I'm about to start on chapter 8.  
> I really hope this stays under ten chapters, and it honestly probably will, so I apologize if the ending seems anticlimactic.  
> But, I hope it's enjoyable so far and that you stick around til the end!  
> A big thank you to everyone who has commented and left kudos and is following the story; you're the best!
> 
> =^.^=


	5. Christmas Surprise pt1

A year and a half had passed since the seven heroes had come together. A whole year and a half. Graduation had come and gone, and while a few of them wanted to go to University, they were mostly able to just jump straight into careers

Most notably, Nathanael had been picked up by an indie comic company and was writing superhero comics "loosely" based off of the groups' own adventures. He took old doodles from previous years in school and improved upon them, rewriting the story and making slight name changes as needed. It was something he enjoyed, and something readers enjoyed as well - which was what mattered. If there were no audience, there would be no art.

Rose and Juleka had opened a boutique, with Rose growing and selling flowers and Juleka offering plant-based make-up products/makeovers, as well as more alternative accessories such as resin animal skull hairclips and jewelry; occasionally, Marinette would offer some of her creations for sale. Biinii praised Rose's gardening skills day in and day out, and both she and Nooroo enjoyed buzzing around the flower shop half of the boutique when there were no customers. Nooroo found themselves intrigued by Juleka's creations and how she found new life in things that were dead and gone - an endless cycle of rebirth.

Nino was steadily rising in fame as one of the most wanted DJs in Paris; he sometimes played multiple venues and events in one day. He hadn't had to cancel any of his scheduling as of yet, but with Alya working as his agent, it would be a piece of cake when the time came. No school meant a happier and more relaxed Nino; he grew up quicker than those around him thought was possible, but it was easy to adjust. He was still Nino, just with bigger words.

Marinette helped at her parents' bakery when she could, but spent most of her time creating new designs. She would place ones she loved more than others into the boutique Rose and Juleka ran. She planned on returning to school to pursue a fashion degree, if only for the thrill of improving herself and her craft, but with the looming threat of a war she felt the need to stay at the mansion most days doing as much research as her brain could handle.

Adrien still modeled occasionally, but the shoots were fewer and farther between. He had no real passion for it, and though he wanted to go to University for a degree in physics - maybe a doctorate of some sort, be a teacher - he, like Marinette, thought it best to return to it at a later date. On campus, anyway. He liked to stay at home with Marinette and Nathanael, so he was taking online courses to get the easier classes out of the way. He wasn't one to like falling behind on his life path, and he honestly wasn't going to let being a superhero get in the way of it.

Alya had secured herself a spot at a rather big name newspaper as both an advice columnist and the organizer for the cartoon page. She had convinced Nathanael, with her big pouty hazel eyes, to do a small three panel strip each week for her. It was a cute little comic each week about some animal or another - sometimes a small ladybug who only wanted cookies, or a fox who would do anything for a scrap of meat. She loved them and had them taped all over her bedroom walls. She, too, had thought about going to school, but after weighing the pros and cons and getting her job, she had decided against the idea completely.

It was surprising to the lot of them how they managed to lead such normal lives as well as continue their every other day training and patrol schedule. They didn't know whether to be worried or relieved that nothing had appeared since the night Juleka spotted the Shadow. Patrols took longer than they used to, lasting nearly until sunrise on some nights.

Their patrol schedule was such that they were able to rotate, and there were times where days had to be switched due to prior engagements. It was posted in the main living room as well as on the fridge and on the inside of each bedroom and study door.

Sunday - LB/CN  
Monday - JT/V  
Tuesday - LB/Pe  
Wednesday - BB/Pa  
Thursday - LB/CN/JT/V  
Friday - BB/Pa/Pe  
Saturday: All

Saturday patrols were always seen as the worst. They would start off as individuals, scanning through the seven sections they had split up in, and then they would join back together underneath the Eiffel Tower momentarily to share anything suspicious. They would then split into groups of two or three - usually Ladybug, Chat, and Peacock, then Jade and Volpina, and then Bumble Bee and Papillon - and the groups would survey the city once more in three bigger chunks. Another gathering later and they were split into two groups: Ladybug, Chat, Jade, and Volpina and then Bumble Bee, Papillon, and Peacock; each team would take half of the city before returning to the tower for one last regroup and a full team look at the city.

It was reasoned that different eyes saw different things, and if they all retraced everyone's steps then they could stop something, if something were to happen. As it were, after a year and a half of the patrol schedule, nothing had shown up. No huge evil, no small evil. Occasional muggings and drunk tourists who couldn't handle a glass of wine were stopped, but all in all, the group of heroes left the law in the hands of the city's police force - which wasn't in the least bit encouraging.

The too bright winter day had the seven almost twenty-year-olds lounging in the sun room on the second floor of the mansion. The room had been converted, per Marinette and Nino's begging, to an entire floor of mattresses with pillows lining all four walls about two feet up. On one wall was a series of mounted flat screens playing different news stations on mute and one with cartoons on low in the background.

Marinette sat against a wall with her legs stretched out in front of her, flipping through a magazine from the pile beside her. Alya resting her head on one of Marinette's thighs, laying on her side and scrolling through blogs on her phone; she was laying in an almost right angle shape so that her legs could drape over Nino's legs. Nino sat against the wall perpendicular to where Marinette sat. He had his headphones on, though one ear was partially uncovered in case someone needed to get his attention.

Adrien had his head on Marinette's other leg, eyes closed and breathing even; he wasn't asleep, but he also wasn't going to be obviously awake. He was curled up much like a cat, his face turned toward the wall instead of the windows. Nathanael sat about a foot away from Nino, a laptop table in his lap and a few pieces of paper in front of him. He was obviously lost in thought from the way his pen went from in his mouth to behind his ear to hovering above the paper before repeating.

Rose and Juleka had their eyes glued to the television, cuddled under a light pink and lavender down blanket. A bowl of popcorn sitting between them. They were sitting near to the group, but seemed to be in their own world; everyone did really.

"Who's going home for Christmas?"

The attention in the room turned to Alya, who had stopped her blog scrolling as she sat up. She laughed slightly and waved off Marinette's groan at the sudden lack of warmth on her leg.

"Oh, I hadn't thought about it…" Rose murmured, tapping her chin. "My parents said they aren't even putting any decorations up this year, so they don't really mind if I come or not."

Juleka shrugged. "Even though my parents still let me live with them after I came out, they kind of wrote me off," she said, her voice quiet, "so I've just gone to Rose's."

"My family moved to America a couple years ago, and I don't feel like traveling out of the country when we could get attacked at anytime," Nathanael said, not looking up from the panel he was trying to fix.

Alya turned her attention to Nino, "Babe?"

Nino hefted his shoulders up in a dramatic shrug. "I'm up for whatever, man. I just have to let my folks know whether to expect me or not."

"Mari? Adrien?" Alya looked at the curled up boy who had practically taken over the young designer's lap after Alya moved. She chuckled.

"This is our home," Marinette said, looking down at Adrien and running her fingers through his shaggy - and getting shaggier - blond hair. She smiled down at him before sighing softly. "Plus, my parents go to China every year for Christmas; I don't really go anymore, not since I became Ladybug."

Alya's hazel eyes lit up.

"It'll be our first Christmas with all of us home on Christmas!"

It took a moment for the group to realize that it was. The previous holidays were all spent with family; only Marinette and Adrien had stayed in the mansion on Christmas.

"You're so excited for Christmas," Plagg grumbled from somewhere close to Adrien. He floated up and looked at Alya. "It's still a week away."

"Wait, Alya, don't you have to go see your family?" Rose tilted her head. "Your parents and siblings?"

"Mom has to take care of the big event at the hotel this year, and my siblings are at my dad's out in the country," Alya shrugged. "I figured there's no need to leave Paris if I don't have to." She grinned.

Conversation died back down after that, with everyone returning to their individual tasks.

"What's that?" Marinette spoke suddenly, jumping into a standing position, causing Adrien to wake up with a start. "Quick, Jules, remote three - rewind, pause, and play." She stepped as close to the TV as she could. "We may have a problem."

In the corner of the screen, a large shadow was billowing out of a sewer hole. Purple ran through it menacingly, crackling electricity with nowhere to go.

"Mari."

Marinette turned to the voice, her blue eyes gazing straight into green; when did he get that close?

"Mari, I need you to breathe."

Not realizing she hadn't been breathing, Marinette took in a slow breath and let it out just as slowly. She looked to Juleka, who was staring at her with big, scared orange-brown eyes. She pulled her into a hug and let her sob. She knew the Butterfly holder still subconsciously blamed herself, even though there was nothing she could do.

"Juleka, we can do this," Marinette murmured into the other girl's hair. "Your kind heart will protect you from this evil, and it will not regain control of your Miraculous."

Juleka nodded slowly, hesitantly pulling away from Marinette. Warmth left her and she almost dove in for another embrace, but knew that more important business needed to be taken care of.

"Holy shit." Alya stared at the screen. "It's sending out akuma."

The seven of them watched in horror as the cloud of shadow burst into what looked like hundreds of poisoned butterflies. None landed immediately, and the heroes didn't know what to make of it. They didn't know whether to transform or to stay where they were. But the Shadow was gone, Hawk Moth's last bit of legacy left to find and corrupt innocent people.

"Only one will be active at a time, even if they landed and infect someone," Nooroo spoke after a moment of the group of humans watching the screen, frozen in fear. They waited for everyone to sit down once more, in their usual circle. "This is what you've all trained for."

"As the akuma activate, you will be faced with many hardships," Wayzz nodded to himself. "These akuma will be stronger than any you have faced, and as you capture and purify them, you become stronger, but…"

"But so does the enemy," Tikki continued. "Once you reach the final akuma, and you'll know when you come across them, they will be the most powerful villain you have encountered. It will take all seven of you at full strength and in full trust to defeat them."

"Your training mustn't falter," Biinii said, her voice quiet as it usually was, "and your patrols must be taken more seriously. Keeping in mind that only Ladybug can purify akuma, if any of you are ever on patrol without her, get her to your location immediately."

"We can keep the akuma busy and take out most of their energy, but Tikki and Marinette must be there before the akuma gets away or regains strength," Paavo added. "We're distractions and buffers, powerful ones, but distractions none the less."

"And if you can't get Ladybug, get me," Adrien said. "If I'm there, she'll be not far behind."

"Someone has to keep you from getting yourself killed," Plagg said, almost sounding like Marinette's mini lectures on self preservation. He jokingly bit at Adrien's hand as the blond swatted his hand at the cat Kwami.

Marinette folded her arms across her chest as she looked at Adrien, quirking an eyebrow.

"In any case, only Ladybug can capture and purify the akuma," Vexxa rolled her eyes. "She has to be there."

"Well, that isn't the whole truth," Nooroo murmured, hiding themselves slightly in Juleka's hair.

"What aren't you telling us, Nooroo?" Marinette asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible, but still slightly annoyed at Adrien's implications of self sacrifice. She knew she'd never break him of the habit; it didn't mean it made her any less aggravated by it.

Nooroo rubbed their tiny hands together, avoiding eye contact. "The wand that Juleka carries as Papillon, it… Well, do you remember your first akuma - Stoneheart? And how the akuma multiplied and made more stone creatures?" They watched as Marinette and Adrien nodded. "That happened because it wasn't purified and was returned to Hawk Moth. It was kept inside the stone at the top of the wand - which was a cane at the time - until the negative emotions surfaced once more." They took a breath, pausing. "What I'm trying to say is while Ladybug is the only one who can purify the akuma, Papillon _can_ capture the akuma for a small amount of time."

"Enough time for Ladybug to get there and purify it!" Nino grinned. "That's awesome!"

"I can capture them?" Juleka's face lit up, happy to be able to assist in such a big way. "So if we defeat the akumatized person before Marinette gets there, we can still save them!"

"If you weren't already monitoring news 24/7, I'd tell you to do so now," Plagg grumbled, being helpful but not being happy about it. "There's nothing you can do at the moment; there's no telling if anyone has even been akumatized yet."

"It is entirely possible that some akuma have taken root in a host and are just waiting for the opportune moment to reveal themselves," Tikki said, her big eyes darting around worriedly. "Just take solace in the fact that only one will be actively attacking at a time."

"Except there's really no solace in this matter," Plagg countered. "Considering these akuma aren't after your Miraculouses; they're after your lives."

-

Another week had passed, and nervous tension sparked through the entire mansion despite it being Christmas morning. Presents were quite literally piled under and around the tree and full stockings barely held onto the wall in the living room. A fire had been lit in the fireplace and everyone sat around on the couches or in the floor in the pajama sets Marinette had made for them all the previous year; most of them matched their respective alter-egos, though Adrien and Marinette had switched. Most of the sets were shorts for the girls and pants for the boys with matching long sleeve hooded shirts.

The curtains were pulled closed over the windows, avoiding the sight of the snow falling; they had all had enough of the snow from their patrols. They had all been on edge during the holiday bustle, mostly because they all knew of how stressful they could be for parents and for their children. Any small thing could send an akuma into overdrive.

They had been lucky enough to wake up in a warm pile of limbs and blankets that Christmas morning; a box of baked treats awaited them on the kitchen table - a gift from the Dupain-Chengs to 'their superhero children.' The treats weren't exactly fresh anymore, but they enjoyed the confections just the same three days old.

"I'm glad we have parents like yours, Marinette," Juleka said with a small smile as she took a bite of a macaron. "It's comforting to have them be so supportive of everything."

"They can be a bit smothering sometimes, too; at least they were when we were younger," Adrien said.

Marinette chuckled. "When we were younger? Kitty, that was barely two years ago that we moved away from my parents' and into the mansion with everyone." She shook her head. "You make it sound like we're in our thirties."

Adrien shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, smirking just slightly. "So. When are we opening presents~!?" He literally started bouncing. He held onto his crossed ankles, looking as if he were about to start rolling around the room.

Marinette laughed and mussed his already messy hair. "We can do them now if everyone's ready."

The Kwamis were given their gifts first; each received a tiny hat or scarf for the cold weather when the heroes were walking around as civilians. It would make things a bit more difficult if a situation arose, since they would all have to remember to let the scarf or hat come off before transforming so as not to mess up any of their powers. Each holder gave their respective Kwami a small hoard of their favorites.

"I'm sorry it's not peonies; they're not really in season right now," Rose cast her eyes away from Biinii, pink dusting her cheeks.

"Oh, Rose, I love these just as much!" Biinii couldn't stand to see her charge upset. She buzzed and nuzzled against Rose's cheek.

Among the piles of presents, Adrien's gift stood out the most. From him, each member of the team received a small silver band, a small stone set into each of them; Marinette's was a ruby, Nathanael's was a sapphire, Alya's was an amber, Nino's was a green jadeite, Rose's was a topaz, and Juleka's was an amethyst.

"Oh my god, Adrien…" Marinette trailed off as the blond boy took her left hand in his and slipped the ring on.

"Are you proposing to all of us?" Alya raised an eyebrow, admiring her own ring. She grinned teasingly.

"Not really a proposal, more like-"

"A promise?" Nathanael grinned, winking. He had already put his ring on as well. He looked at Adrien's left hand. "Got yourself one, too?"

Adrien chuckled and nodded, pulling it from his pocket. "Didn't want to put it on before everyone else." His eyes widened as Marinette took it from him and smiled at the small emerald set in the band. She returned the gesture from before and slipped it on his finger. She kissed the tip of his nose and settled back into her spot.

"Adrien, thank you," Juleka said, smiling almost as brightly as the fire in the room.

"Seriously, dude, now none of us really have to propose individually," Nino laughed. "Can you imagine - our fingers would be covered in rings!"

The group shared a laugh, a true, happy sound that left the room feeling warmer than before.

"Can we watch a movie?" Rose asked, moving just slightly in Juleka's cuddly embrace.

"Sure! Which one?" Juleka smiled.

"I don't know," Rose tapped her bottom lip. "A Christmas one?"

Juleka shook her head, laughing quietly at her girlfriend's endearing mannerisms. She kissed her forehead.

"While you figure that out, I'm going to clean up this mess," Marinette chuckled.

"I'll help, Minnie," Nathanael stood, helping Marinette to her feet as well. He caught her as she stumbled over a ball of wrapping paper. "Most graceful superhero in all of Paris, still trips over her own feet." He teased.

Marinette playfully slapped his upper arm as he steadied her back on her feet.

The two of them began gathering up the wrapping paper and other trash lying around as Adrien and Alya gathered the gifts into their arms and took them to their respective rooms. Nino went to the kitchen to whip up a quick dinner of finger foods; none of them really felt like cooking an actual meal.

Rose and Juleka had decided on a 1980's version of the Nutcracker ballet. No one had any arguments against it, and actually found that they were rather interested in it. They kept the second TV in the living room muted on the most accurate news channel, just in case.

The finger food and snacks dinner was eaten slowly, none of them really wanting to take their eyes off of the ballet. Rose and Juleka were on the floor, propped up against the angle of the wrap around couch. Adrien sat on the couch just behind them, Marinette curled into one side and Nathanael laying halfway in his lap; Nathanael was playing with Juleka's hair absently, and Marinetee was trying to fight off sleep. His legs were stretched out across Nino and Alya's laps, and the two of them were cuddled into each other.

On the TV screen running the news, the first akuma since Hawk Moth's disappearance made its debut. It was bigger than many of the others Ladybug and Chat Noir had had to face, and appeared to be much more dangerous.

"Guys." Vexxa's voice filled the room, despite her tiny stature. She pointed toward the news report.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Christmas chapter in June because why not.  
> I haven't written much past chapter seven because of carpal tunnel and also these ten hour rehearsals, sooo yeah.  
> probs write more soon, but for now, enjoy!
> 
> =^.^=


	6. Christmas Surprise pt2

It was a hard battle. Even with the extra five heroes, Chat Noir and Ladybug had never had so much trouble with a single enemy. At first, it had seemed like a quick and easy, purify and get out type of battle, but the weather was not on their side.

Christmas-themed weapons in each of its four hands made the akuma formidable on its own, but the freak blizzard billowing up around them made seeing and breathing difficult. Their suits may have been indestructible, but they were nowhere near weather-proof.

"The akuma is in the candy cane!" Volpina yelled over the howling wind. "Chat! Come with me; we can distract it!"

Chat nodded. He looked to Ladybug, blew her a kiss, winked, and jumped off to follow Volpina. "Hey Jade! Could use a shield right about _meow_!"

Jade looked up as Chat jumped over him. He called upon his power, focusing his force fields on Chat and Volpina as they went into the danger zone. The less people he shielded, the more powerful the shields. He looked around, trying to pinpoint where everyone else was. He could sense them nearby, but could see no one. A razor sharp candy cane shard came flying at him and he rose his shield to deflect it; he heard a loud cry from where the shard flew. Instinct kicked in and he ran.

"BB!"

Jade heard Papillon, and his heart sank. He had injured a teammate. He skidded to a stop next to the bee and the butterfly.

"BB, are you alright?" Jade let his hands hover over her, seeing spots of blood.

Bumble Bee stood up and nodded. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Don't worry." Her smiled was forced, and as she pulled an arrow out to ready it on her bow, her arm dropped to her side.

"Get her home. We can get this. Where's Peacock?" Jade took control of the situation, subconsciously planning to worry about his guilt when they got home.

Papillon looked at Jade and then around. "I think he's over by Ladybug, but I can't be sure." She looked at Bumble Bee and then back at Jade. "You don't have much time left, you take her home; I still have my power. Ladybug and Chat need me."

Jade hesitated before nodding. He lifted Bumble Bee into his arms and left the battlefield.

"Anytime now, Bugaboo!" Chat groaned, mostly to himself, as he fell to the ground; Jade's shield had worn off. "Where is that damn turtle?"

"Home."

"Papillon?"

"Sorry tomcat, had to send the defense squad home," Papillon offered a hand to help him onto his feet. She smiled just slightly. "Some Christmas, huh?"

"Not my worst one," Chat shrugged, rolling his shoulders and his neck. "Care to give me an assist?"

"You know once you use it a second time, you don't have very long before changing back, right?" Papillon tilted her head, ready to use her power.

"Ladybug's already used Lucky Cham once; we're both running out of time and this akuma isn't getting any weaker," Chat said, eyes darkening. "I don't even know where she is."

Papillon's eyes flashed and she nodded, summoning her ability. "I've given you both a second chance. Find Ladybug; I'll find Peacock. Where's Vol-"

Volpina landed beside them, directly on her back. "This thing doesn't hold back." She sat up before quickly bringing herself back to standing. She steadied herself. "Chat, Ladybug is on the other side of it, trying to sneak up on it and break the candy cane."

"So if we're all over here, who's helping Minnie?"

The three of them turned to see Peacock limping toward them.

Peacock nodded to Papillon. "You've given Ladybug and Chat what you can?" At her nod, he turned to Volpina. "Then take my support, and let's hurry this up."

Volpina multiplied and the copies ran after the akuma, keeping it's attention up front. Chat used his second Cataclysm to trap the akumatized person, and Ladybug snatched the candy cane. She broke it, captured, and purified the akuma.

The five watched with wide eyes as the purified butterfly flew into Papillon's brooch.

-

"Nino, I'm fine," Rose mumbled, looking away as Nino tended to the wound. She looked out of the window as she saw the clouds of ladybugs fly over the city. "See? The Cure has passed over and they should all be home soon." She took a chance and looked back, her right side was still scratched up; luckily, the bleeding was slowly stopping.

"The Miraculous Cure does wonders, but it can't fix everything," Nino said as he finished cleaning and bandaging the cuts. "It's going to bruise, and you're gonna be sore, but it should heal fine."

The room was silent for a moment as Rose laid on the couch, debating if she wanted to sit up or not.

"Look, Rose, dude… I'm sorry. I-" Nino's words caught in his throat as Rose gently placed a kiss on his lips.

"Nino, I don't blame you; you shouldn't either," Rose smiled, letting her hand rest on his cheek for a moment. "I can already feel it healing."

Nino stared into her bright blue eyes, at a loss for words. He sighed, looking away finally and nodding. "You're right." He made himself return her smile before she gestured for him to sit beside her on the couch.

When the other five returned home, Nino and Rose were in the kitchen throwing together a late Christmas dinner. After the battle they had, the two believed they all deserved a nice meal instead of the finger foods they had been eating throughout the day. Yes, it was nearly midnight; yes, they were all exhausted, but they felt like it was the right thing to do.

"What's that smeeelll?" Vexxa let her nose lead her from Alya's pocket to the kitchen. Plagg followed shortly after, but mostly to get his cheese.

"Rose?" Juleka practically ran into the kitchen despite her tired legs. She hugged her girlfriend tightly, yet gently. "Are you alright?"

Rose laughed, a bell-like noise with an innocent resonance. "I'm fine, dearest." She kissed Juleka's cheeks and then her lips, smiling. "Nino took care of me."

Juleka looked at Nino and then hugged him.

"Alright, Jules, you need a shower," Nathanael chuckled, placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her out of the kitchen and to her room and bathroom.

"I'm going that way as well," Alya muttered. "Vexxa, your bacon is in the fridge, along with Plagg's cheese."

Vexxa used a tiny paw to salute her charge before phasing through the fridge and opening it. "Plaaaagg~!" She waved a container of Camembert and laughed as the tiny black ball tackled her.

Adrien walked in, carrying Marinette. He watched as Tikki flew to her cookie jar. He walked down the hall and to his room, setting Marinette on his bed.

"Adrien…"

Brushing a strand of hair from her face as he sat, Adrien took a spot beside Marinette on the bed. "You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard."

"Says you," Marinette scoffed. She tried to push herself up, but collapsed back onto the bed. "I need a shower."

"You need a bath," Adrien corrected. "If you'd let me go," he nodded to her near-death grip on his shirt, "I can get one started." He chuckled as she let go; he kissed her forehead as he stood up and walked to the connected bathroom. "Mari, can you make it to the tub?"

Marinette rolled her eyes, slowly pushing herself into a sitting position. She knew the second Lucky Charm would take a lot of energy, but she hadn't expected it to go from tired to intense pain after the magic of the suit faded. She had dropped like a sack of rocks halfway home. As she stood, she was immediately glad the bathroom was only a few feet away.

"Do you need any help?"

"Adrien, you're doing it again." Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not a child."

Adrien's brow furrowed and he sighed. "Mari, I… I just worry; you know that. You've never been this tired after a battle, this- this stiff." He folded his arms across his chest and-wait, was he pouting?

Marinette shook her head and chuckled. "I may have need of your assistance, kitty." She said, wincing as he helped her undress. She took her hair out of the pigtails and used Adrien as support to step into the large tub full of water. She hummed as the hot water relaxed her muscles. She looked up as Adrien turned to leave the bathroom. "Join me?"

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"We both know this is the hottest the water will be, and though you're being tough for me now, if you don't get in this water you'll be up all night thrashing because your muscles ache. Now get in."

Chuckling, the blond superhero nodded. He undressed and slipped into the tub, glad to have such a large one. He sidled up next to Marinette and laid his head on her shoulder, lacing their fingers together.

Marinette smiled down at him and relaxed even more. The bubbles and salts in the water making her body and mind calm down from the night's battle. She didn't know how long they had been in the water, but the next thing she knew, Nathanael was standing in the doorway.

"Aw, and you didn't invite me," he winked, sticking his tongue out. "Nino and Rose made dinner."

Marinette nodded, stretching her arms up, laughing as Adrien groaned. She noted that the water was still warm, so it hadn't been too long since she had zoned out. She looked up as Nathanael offered her a hand and a towel. She accepted both with a smile, placing a kiss on his cheek as she stepped out and wrapped herself up. She ran another towel over her hair as Nathanael helped Adrien out as well.

"About time you joined us." Alya grinned as the three of them turned the corner into the dining room.

The clock hanging in the room read nearly one in the morning, but it didn't matter as the seven heroes of Paris sat down to eat their meal. None of the humans spoke as they ate, but that didn't stop the Kwamis.

"We need to be more careful," Tikki said, nibbling on what was probably her fourth cookie. It usually only took one or two for her to return to almost full strength, but she still looked exhausted as she leaned against Plagg.

Plagg nodded, shoving more cheese in his mouth. "The power boost from Nooroo is great and all, but it's also really draining." He whined.

"I do what I can to help," Nooroo mumbled, taking a bite out of their plum. "I know there's a way to make it take less energy away from you two, but it's been so long…"

"Do not stress, Nooroo," Wayzz said gently, sipping his tea. "It has been quite a long while since we have all been able to help each other with our abilities."

Biinii nodded and flitted around, flower in her hand. "Yeah, Nooroo! We'll all get back to full strength eventually! These charges are the best we've ever had!"

"Since the first," Wayzz said, eyes darting to Biinii.

Biinii nodded, eyes widening. "Yeah! Since the first!" She smiled and flew back over to Rose.

"Can we all sleep in the mattress room tonight?"

Everyone at the table looked to Paavo - who was usually the first one to jump at the idea of being alone.

"Everything alright little dude?" Nino asked, looking at the tiny blue-green bird fairy.

"After tonight's battle, I think it best that we all regain our strength together and hope that tomorrow doesn't bring another akuma," Paavo stated very matter-of-factly.

"You will all heal faster if we stay together," Vexxa nodded, "and so will we."

Once dishes were cleaned up, the group finally made their way to the mattress room and promptly fell into the world of sleep. The humans did, anyway. Adrien was the big spoon to Marinette, who had her arms wrapped around Nathanael, whose head was buried in Marinette's neck. Rose's butt touched Nathanael's back, and Juleka was facing Rose. Alya lay on the other side of Juleka, on her back with her arms and legs sprawled everywhere and Nino using her stomach as a pillow.

When all seven Kwami were sure their charges were asleep, they silently phased through the door and out of the room.

"Should we really be keeping everything from them?" Biinii asked, flitting back and forth with worry.

"Biinii, you know we have many secrets to keep," Wayzz sighed, shaking his head. "Once the last of the akuma is purified and released, they will know everything."

"But for now it's best that we don't overload them with information," Nooroo murmured.

"I hate lying to Marinette; she's the best Ladybug I've had, and she trusts wholeheartedly," Tikki wrung her small hands together.

"They're all good kids, Tikki," Plagg said, placing a small paw on her back. "We're not lying to them; we're just withholding information for the time being."

"Withholding truths is still lying, Plagg," Vexxa rolled her eyes, "but I have to agree it's what we have to do."

"Does he know, Wayzz?" Paavo quirked a brow. "Our new Guardian, has he figured it out?"

"He has caught on quicker than most - quicker than anyone aside from Master Fu," Wayzz nodded, tapping his chin. "However, Nino is still young, and many of the things he knows come from his dreams; he still has trouble deciphering what is an actual dream and what are memories of past Guardians."

"He's nervous," Nooroo nodded. "All Guardians are nervous at first."

"I almost doubted the judgement on these," Vexxa said with a small shrug. "Only three of them wanted to be heroes: my charge, the cat boy, and then the butterfly."

"The want to be a hero and the need for the hero never coincide," Wayzz said. "Our heroes may have doubt in themselves, but the trust and faith they have in each other outweighs anything else. They are good kids, and watching them grow has been quite the adventure."

"Doesn't mean I like keeping the most important information away from them~!" Biinii whined, flying up and then falling back down dramatically.

"They will figure it out on their own," Nooroo said, shaking their head. "They'll have to."

"But what if the day finally comes and they haven't figured it out and we just vanish," Tikki flitted nervously, Plagg's oddly gentle hand not keeping her from moving.

"Tikki, we're not going to vanish," Plagg rolled his eyes. "We can choose to stay; you know that, so quit worrying."

"But they won't need us anymore," Biinii mumbled.

"Yeah, why would they want us to stay if there's no need?" Vexxa tilted her head.

"I don't know about all of you, but Adrien - he's not going to give it up that easy," Plagg said, smirking. "Being Chat Noir has given that kid more than what he ever wanted. Sure, it's given him quite a bit of heartbreak, but… He wouldn't just get rid of me - even though he threatens it daily."

"You've both had more time with your charges," Paavo said. "There's no guarantee ours will keep us around. And if there are no more akuma, there's really no need for a Guardian, so…"

"No, Plagg is right, they won't abandon us," Vexxa nodded. "Have you seen the way they treat us?" She looked around at her fellow Kwamis. "Have you seen what we've done for them, how close they've all become?"

"I just want them to be happy, but I don't want to be forgotten," Biinii said quietly before yawning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp. sorry for super late update.  
> life's been happening a lot and i kinda lost motivation to update this even though i have up to chapter 8 written.  
> but i got a bunch of comments the other day so here ya go!


	7. A Glimpse Into the Past

"Your souls are special, and you will grow into them."

The gentle voice lulled through the silence of seven children sitting in a room with hardly any light. The sun had begun its descent an hour prior, and the candles around them were of little use in the coming night.

"Not all souls are special," the woman continued. "Many souls have seen the earth countless times, and yet still have never truly experienced the world around them. But your souls, these ancient souls, have much power in them. And you will grow in this power."

The children looked around at each other and then back toward the woman in the chair in front of them. Their world hadn't existed before that moment, and they knew nothing of the trials ahead. Each child held in their hands an item of importance, an item that had once meant something to them. However, each of the orphaned children could not remember what made the item so important.

"That item is your soul now; you have a journey ahead of your that no one else will understand," the woman's voice stayed calm and gentle, yet her words seemed more dangerous. "Stay together. Trust each other, and no one can take you away from the other."

Earrings.

Big blue eyes looked down at the red jeweled earrings in her small pale hands. She carefully placed them in her ears, wincing just slightly at the pinch of pain that came from putting the pegs back through almost closed holes. She folded her hands in her lap once more, playing with the rough black and red silk of her qipao. She hung her head to look at her hands, a few loose strands of deep red-brown hair falling in her face.

A ring.

It had belonged to someone he once knew, that much he knew for certain. He played with the silver ring on his right ring finger. It was precious to him, but the more he thought about it, the less he understood why. His shaggy black hair fell into his acid green eyes as he looked toward the now sleeping woman in the chair. His pants were ragged and his shirt was quite obviously a hand-me-down from someone much larger than he was.

A bracelet.

He had clasped it around his wrist, and felt a rush hit him like nothing he had felt before. He knew who he had been, who he was, and who he could become. He clenched and unclenched his fists before using his gold-green eyes to look around at the other children; they were lost in a sea with nothing to bring them home. He had no hair, having shaved it off before coming to this orphanage. He wore a dark green changshan.

A necklace.

Her hair fell to her mid-back in soft waves of orange, brown, and gold, and her honey-brown eyes were fierce. Her skin rivaled the deep hue of maple, and her colorful clothes made her stand out against the darkness of the room. Her orange sari wrapped around her body in gentle folds, pleats, and waves; yellow and magenta detailing went around both edges of the garment.

A pin.

He had made it. It was his, and he was keeping it until his dying breath. His slick black hair fell into a long braid down his back; blue-green eyes peered from long, thick lashes. His clothes were made from hides decorated with the brightest of blue and green feathers; he had found them himself. His clothes were his; his heritage was his. He looked as if he had been permanently kissed by the sun from birth. 

A haircomb.

She placed it back into the high pile of golden locks atop her head, letting it rest in the place it was meant to be. Her bright blue eyes were closed, ignoring the room around her in an attempt to make it disappear. The pale yellow dress she wore was one much too fancy for the orphanage, but she refused to part with it; the lace was beginning to fade from white to cream around the edges, and the hem was fraying. Her skin was pale, what could be seen from beneath the gown and the gloves.

A brooch.

They placed it back on the pocket of their deep purple coat. They wore black pants that came to just below their knees, grey tights covering the rest of their legs down to their black shoes. Their white-blond hair was cut short and left messy, and their almost grey eyes seemed perpetually sad. The pale grey-white hue of their skin made them seem sickly, no matter if their health was perfect.

Seven items. Seven forgotten children. Seven destinies twined into one.

-

"Oh c'mon Tikki! Stop falling behind!"

The small Chinese girl struggled to finish the climb up the vines. She winced as she collapsed at the top of the small cliff.

"Plagg, quit being mean," she looked up with her big blue eyes and the black-haired boy felt his heart drop.

"Tikki, you're sick." Plagg stated, kneeling next to her. He knew the others had continued on their daily exercise routine. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I knew you'd worry," Tikki smiled just slightly as she pushed herself back to her feet. "Plus, our caretaker wouldn't be happy if I skipped on training." She leaned against the taller fourteen year old as they continued on at a slower pace.

"I'm not the only one who worries, my lady," Plagg smiled down at her before becoming serious once more. "We could have stayed at home and practiced more magic."

"My magic doesn't need practice," Tikki grinned.

"Okay lovebirds," Paavo chuckled, "let's wrap this up so we can return home."

Each of them had an accent, that was certain, but the language their caretaker had taught them made it easier for them all to communicate. It had been terribly difficult at first, since all seven of them spoke different languages. Tikki spoke Mandarin. Plagg spoke English. Wayzz spoke Cantonese. Vexxa spoke Hindi. Paavo spoke Navajo. Biinii spoke French. Nooroo spoke Finnish. It had all been a jumbled mess until something the caretaker did made a switch click and there was suddenly a language they all understood.

Tikki and Plagg were nearly inseparable, despite being near polar opposites. Wayzz watched over everyone as best as he could, mostly keeping Vexxa out of trouble. Biinii, Paavo, and Nooroo were all mostly loners; they didn't stick around each other or anyone else really in the group.

When they were children, they couldn't understand each other, so no one got to know one another; and as teens, they all had differing priorities. It wasn't until they had all turned twenty that they realized how much they needed each other. Their powers had grown exponentially, and their caretaker had passed from old age. The orphanage had been demolished, and they were left without shelter. They never considered themselves homeless, as long as they were all together.

Then it happened.

A storm came in. Big, black clouds crackling with purple lightning swept through and left nothing but chaos in its wake. A curse almost, a prediction of millennia to come. It rolled through the villages and turned neighbor against neighbor for things long since forgiven. It took the combined powers of the seven to return things to the way they had been.

But nothing would ever be the same. Not after a fight on that large of a scale. As a last effort to survive, the evil - the akuma - sent a wave over the seven would-be heroes. They first noticed their small bodies, and then they realized they were trapped inside their own precious item. Most of them were left alone; six of the items remained untouched, but one, the small brooch, was picked up and taken into the hands of evil.

There were many superheroes throughout time, and many villains to face. Though the humans turned Kwami had time to prepare themselves, the first heroes they ever brought to light were pushed in the deep end with no life support. There were many deaths, but also many lives saved. Each time Tikki and Plagg were brought closer together only to be ripped apart once more; they were always active together. It was the only way they could survive.

It came to pass that heroes weren't needed for a while, and once they were needed, the Guardian would bestow the Miraculous onto the next wielder. The times in between were always almost too much to bear. 

-

"Whatcha doing?" Marinette draped her arms over Nathanael's shoulders, tucking her chin into the curve of his neck. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Obviously, I'm trying to draw the last page for the comic that's due in tomorrow," Nathanael muttered, his voice a bit harsher than he meant for it to be. "And being smelled like a steak by a tiny bug in her underwear."

Marinette's eyes flicked open and she took a step back. "I'm guessing you didn't sleep well." It was a statement, and she made sure Nathanael knew she wasn't questioning it. "I'll leave you be then."

"Mari-"

"No. You have work to do, Nath," Marinette waved him off as she left the room.

Nathanael groaned and threw his pencil across the room. He ran his hands over his face and sighed. "Damn it."

"What are you throwing a tantrum about, now?" Paavo muttered, grabbing the tossed pencil and bringing it back to his charge. "You're acting like you just lost a race or something."

Nathanael rolled his eyes as he took the pencil back from Paavo. "It's nothing. Go away."

Paavo scoffed. "Little boy, if you think for one second you can talk to me like that, you got another thing coming." He perched himself on top of Nathanael's work lamp. "Now, what is your deal?"

Nathanael sighed and looked at his Kwami. "I don't know." He placed his pencil behind his ear and looked out of his window. "All these akuma…" He shook his head. "There's been seventeen since Christmas, and it's still a week 'til Valentine's."

"It's your resp-"

"Responsibility as a superhero, yes I know!" Nathanael sighed, laying his head on his arms on his desk. "I just don't know how to keep this all balanced."

Paavo sighed and patted Nathanael's head. "Listen, kid, I know it's hard, but you're going to have get yourself back in check. We can't have you snapping at everyone."

Groaning, Nathanael sat up. "Yeah, you're right. As usual." He shook his head and looked at the half finished page. He quickly threw in the finishing touches before packing up the copy to be viewed the next day.

It was just him and Marinette in the mansion that day. Nino was playing a few birthday parties as well as a club later that night. Alya was at work as usual, but with all the recent akuma attacks, she had the paper and her blog to keep up with, so she was putting in longer hours. Rose and Juleka were slammed at the shop due to the upcoming holiday. Adrien had more photoshoots lined up to promote new Valentine's merchandise his father had come up with.

Of course, Nathanael had his comics and Marinette had her designs to work on, so it's not like they were home doing nothing. Though, what happened next made him wish they were doing nothing. He saw it through his window as he stood to go apologize to Marinette.

"Well, shit." Nathanael muttered to himself. "Mari! Mari! We got a problem!" He ran into her room to find it empty, propelling him toward her work room. "Mari!?"

"What now?" Marinette turned to face Nathanael. When she saw the panic in his eyes, her expression softened. "Nath?"

"Akuma."

"Shit." Marinette looked at the communicator she kept close no matter what. She flipped it open to see that all the others were in 'Do Not Disturb', with the exception of Nathanael. "Shit." She shook her head. "Think we can take this one alone?"

Nathanael's eyes widened for a moment before he nodded. "Y-yeah."

A moment later and they were both transformed, leaving the house through the secret entrance.

"Listen, Minnie, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," Peacock said as they raced toward the akuma.

"Apology accepted," Ladybug said, "as long as you make me lunch when we get home." She winked at him and picked up the pace.

Peacock smiled. He knew Marinette was a forgiving person, and he didn't really have much to worry about, but he never wanted to push his luck. He loved her, and he didn't want her to think otherwise.

The akuma, though difficult, was easier than many of the ones they'd had to fight in the previous weeks. It was unfortunate that they didn't have Chat with them (Peacock could pinpoint exactly when a Cataclysm would have been useful), and also that Peacock's power couldn't help Ladybug. However, Peacock managed to be a good enough distraction for the akuma while Ladybug set it free and purified it.

When they returned home, the two made their way to the kitchen. Nathanael went about making lunch and Marinette grabbed an ice pack.

"Come here, dummy," Marinette smiled as she vaulted herself onto the counter corner between the stove and the sink. She ran warm water over a cloth and dabbed at Nathanael's left eyebrow.

Nathanael winced and flinched away from the cloth. "Did I get hit that badly?"

Marinette laughed, "Just a scratch." She smiled and placed her left hand on the side of his neck, pulling him back toward her to finish cleaning the wound. She dropped her right hand to the other side of his neck and smiled up at him.

Nathanael snaked his arms around her waist. Turquoise eyes gazing into bluebell. He close the distance between them and kissed her for a long moment before hugging her to his chest.

"Okay, okay," Marinette giggled, reluctantly pushing away from the embrace. "You promised me lunch, plus I have to get some carrots and cookies for Paavo and Tikki." She handed him the ice pack and slid off of the counter.

Nathanael watched as she skipped to the fridge. A smile played on his lips and he had to shake himself from his thoughts to continue making their lunch. He looked at the clock and realized that everyone else would be coming home for their lunch break soon.

"Dim Sum?" Marinette tilted her head as Nathanael set seven places around the table.

"A little birdie told me it was one of your favorites growing up," Nathanael winked, offering a small smile. He placed a bowl of rice next to each plate just as five people came through the door.

"Smells delicious, Nath," Rose bounced, kissing the red-head's cheek as she plopped in her seat.

Adrien greeted Marinette with a kiss before sitting down. "How did you two enjoy your morning?"

"Someone had an akuma and didn't contact us," Alya said, looking at her phone as she joined everyone at the table. "See? News report." She held her phone up.

Adrien pursed his lips and looked at Marinette.

"All of your communicators said do not disturb; Nath and I handled it," Marinette shrugged, folding her arms over her chest defensively.

"You could have gotten hurt," Adrien protested, looking from Marinette to Nathanael, "Nael _did_ get hurt!"

"Adrien, I'm fine; it was just a little cut. We're both fine," Nathanael tried to reason.

"Adrien, man, he's right," Nino said. "They're both fine, and you know they worry when we have to do things on our own."

Adrien sighed and nodded. "Yeah." He took his seat and looked at the food in front of him. "Is this Mama Sabine's recipe?"

Nathanael nodded, "Yeah. She gave us a bunch of Marinette's favorites a while back, and I thought I'd try it out."

"Maman gave you recipes?" Marinette raised an eyebrow, giggling. "Well, then, let's see if they compare."

-

__

_All around her was darkness. Not the kind that sunset brought each night, but the kind that flooded the mind and deafened the heart. She could hear voices shouting and calling to her, and she could feel five heartbeats in rhythm with her own, and one drifting away._

_"Tikki!"_

Marinette tossed in her bed, almost waking, but too far into the dream to escape.

_Turning, the woman looked into the green eyes of the one she held closest to her heart._

_"Plagg, what is it?"_

_"We've lost Nooroo," Plagg shook his head. "Vexxa and Wayzz have been searching for them, but…" The young man hung his head, his black hair falling over downcast and defeated eyes._

_"Plagg…" Tikki placed a hand on each of his cheeks. "We will find them. Nooroo is one of our dear ones; we can never truly be separated." She smiled, letting her optimism take over. "Let's see if we can't end this battle."_

_Shapes and colors flashed through the dreamscape, flutters of red and black, followed by blues and orange and yellow and green fighting against a massive cloud of darkness. Death seemed inevitable, until it wasn't._

_The people were gone, and in their place rested jewels. No life resonated from them, and the cloud had dissipated and fused with one of the jewels._

"Tikki!" Marinette shot up, wide awake despite the moon still hanging in the sky.

"Marinette?" Tikki's big eyes filled with worry as she flew up in front of her charge's face. "Marinette, I'm here. What's wrong?"

Marinette stared at the Kwami for a moment before taking her gently in her hands and hugging her to her chest. "Oh, Tikki…"

"Mari?"

Marinette looked to her doorway to see Adrien and Nino standing there. She held Tikki close with one hand and motioned the two into her room with the other.

"Did you dream?" Nino asked, looking at how close Marinette was holding her Kwami, as if to protect her.

Marinette nodded. "I assume you both did, too." She looked at two of her boyfriends and groaned at the headache sneaking up on her. "Are we sharing this headache as well?"

Nino chuckled and nodded, "I think so, dude."

Adrien nodded as well, but hadn't spoke since he got Marinette's attention.

Marinette let Tikki snuggled up in her hair. She pulled Adrien and Nino close and laid back down on her bed.

"Do you think that one was real?"

Adrien looked at his best friend, surprised at his serious tone. He knew that Nino had been having some trouble with keeping his dreams and the memories of past lives separated.

"It felt real."

Adrien nuzzled into Marinette as she spoke. He wanted to speak, wanted to agree with both of them, but words weren't coming. They stuck in his throat like super glue on sandpaper.

"Adrien," Marinette said softly, "breathe."

Adrien took in a quick breath and let it out, not realizing he hadn't been doing that exact thing. He nuzzled into her once more, as a thank you.

"You okay, dude?" Nino stretched an arm across Marinette to lay a hand on Adrien's waist.

Adrien nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but still no words came. He groaned, frustrated.

Marinette chuckled. "Kitty, it's okay." She rubbed his back until she felt him relax and heard his breathing steady. She soon fell back into sleep, feeling more secure than she had sleeping alone.

"Do you think they know?" Wayzz flew up, looking down at the three sleeping heroes.

"I think they're getting close," Tikki murmured, joining him.

Plagg nodded silently, latching on to Tikki.

"Would it really be better to let them figure it out?" Tikki asked, looking at Wayzz. "It's typical for your chosen to have these dreams, but if Marinette and Adrien are too…"

"It won't be long before the others start having them," Plagg mumbled, his voice tired and weak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm trash and went with the kwami were once human thing  
> but like, with ancient souls and shit  
> in any case, take this  
> i have like one more chapter pre-written, and i'm rereading it now to see what needs to be fixed or added, and then i'll hopefully write the last couple of chapters.  
> =^.^=


	8. Good Night's Sleep

It had been a long fight; they were all exhausted. Though the akuma had been purified, something was off as the seven heroes trudged into the mansion. They all released their transformations as soon as privacy allowed, revealing seven twenty-two year olds still in their pajamas.

Two years of near constant akuma battles, as well as leading ordinary lives, was becoming more and more draining. Each new villain became more and more powerful, and though they did as well, it almost didn't seem like enough. Each fight left them more exhausted than the previous one.

The Kwamis watched as their charges silently went to their individual rooms - which had become an odd occurrence in and of itself since the nightmares had begun plaguing them. They mostly stayed in the mattress room. The seven Kwamis helped themselves to their refuel item, worry building in the back of their minds.

The next morning, no one stirred. By the time the sun went down, there was still no sign of movement from any of the bedrooms.

"Something's not right," Tikki said, wringing her hands together as she flitted back and forth. "We should check on them, right?"

Wayzz nodded, "That would be wise."

Vexxa shook her head. "Maybe they're just tired; they've been fighting a lot of akuma lately." She didn't believe her own words, but was trying to be comforting.

"We know that they always go back to work the day after a fight," Paavo muttered.

"Well, let's just go see if they're just resting," Biinii fluttered nervously.

Nooroo nodded in agreement, "It's not like them."

The seven Kwamis flew down the hallway, phasing through their own charge's door as they came to it.

They all looked so peaceful. Each sleeping in their usual way: curled up, stretched out, flat on their back, etc. The Kwamis met back in the hallway.

"Sleeping."

They all spoke at once, none particularly relieved, but not as worried as they had been.

"So, we let them sleep?" Biinii asked.

"For now," Wayzz replied. "If anything develops we will find a way to let at least Marinette's parents know."

The seven young adults stayed asleep. Not a one of them moved. It was three days before the Kwamis could contact Tom and Sabine, and the parents came with ambulances in tow. The seven heroes were taken to a secluded ward of the nearest hospital; they were placed in separate rooms, but they were lined up next to each other down the hall.

"Is there anything you can do?" Sabine asked the Kwamis around her, not taking her eyes from her daughter. "Anything at all?"

Tikki shook her head. "There isn't much we haven't tried." She nuzzled into Sabine's cheek.

"Their vital signs are all perfectly normal, so the doctors do not think there is anything wrong," Wayzz muttered, "but that last akuma was strange…"

"Do you think it has something to with the last akuma?" Tom raised an eyebrow at the tiny floating turtle.

Wayzz nodded before looking around at his fellow Kwamis. "I do."

"You know, Wayzz, there is one thing we haven't tried yet," Nooroo spoke softly, eyes darting away once everyone was looking at them.

Sabine held her hand out for Nooroo to rest on. "What is it, Nooroo?"

The butterfly Kwami fiddled with their hands for a moment. "We could enter their dreams through the Miraculous. It's never had to be done on a such a scale before, but…" Their eyes flitted around the room, landing on the worried parents who had taken in all of Paris' superheroes and then their fellow Kwamis, then the girl in the hospital bed and the machines hooked up to keep her alive; all of the heroes were hooked up to the same machines.

"Nooroo~! That's dangerous!" Biinii whimpered. "What if we don't separate again?"

"She's right," Vexxa agreed. "There's no way to know if we'll make it out or not."

"But we have to try," Plagg said. "They've done more than enough for us; we owe them this much."

It was silent for a moment before Paavo spoke up.

"We will stayed hidden until the night nurses have made their rounds," he stated. "Then we will fuse with our Miraculous and make an attempt to find out what has happened to our charges. Hopefully, we will find a way to bring them back awake. There are still akuma around."

"Only one," Wayzz said. "And I think this last akuma knows it is the last. If tricks like this are being pulled," he nodded toward Marinette, "then it is resorting to desperate measures."

Sabine looked from the magical creatures to her daughter before standing. "I'm going to see the rest of them. Make sure they're alright."

"As alright as they can be, anyway," Tom said quietly, placing a hand on Sabine's back and following her out of the room.

"Are we really ready to do this?" Biinii asked.

"We really don't have any other options," Nooroo mumbled.

That night, seven flashes of light went off in the hospital, and for a brief moment, the monitors hooked to the seven heroes of Paris went on the fritz.

-

_It was a strange sight to behold. The seven heroes were in the same dreamscape. Not much was there aside from an exact replica of the couch from the mansion and a television that seemed just as far away as it did up close. The seven Kwamis noticed that not a one of the humans took even a slight bit of interest in them._

_However, they all noticed the forms they had taken. They, too, were human in this place._

_Tikki's red-brown hair was pulled into a formal bun. Her qipao, black dotted red silk, clung to her frame, and her feet were bare. She lifted her hands to feel her ears, and there, her earrings rested._

_Plagg's black hair had gotten shaggier over the years of being a tiny fairy creature, and it covered most of his face if he left it down. His black pants were still tattered around the ankles, and his white, long sleeved tunic top hung off his shoulders and hid his thin frame._

_Wayzz still wore his deep green changshan, taking a slight pride in that his hair hadn't grown back. His feet, too, were bare. He ran his opposite hand over his bracelet, smiling down at it as if seeing it for the first time once more._

_Vexxa looked at her hands and smiled before spinning. The layers of her sari went out around her in waves of orange, gold, and hints of magenta before falling back around her, and her tri-toned hair fell around her face in playful waves. Like the others, there were no shoes on her feet; instead, there were thin gold chains with small charms dangling._

_Paavo grinned just slightly to himself as he saw the calluses on his hands - his human hands. The feathers on his outfit reminded him of a simpler time and he took in a deep breath. He reached behind him and felt his braid, not much longer than he remembered it._

_Biinii's smile faltered just slightly as she gazed down at the pale yellow gown she wore. Once extravagant and something she was proud of, the dress now made her a bit nauseous. Her long, long blonde hair was piled up high in curls, somewhat resembling a beehive._

_Nooroo's outfit remained the same as they remembered. The purple jacket, the black knee-length pants and grey tights; they were the only one wearing shoes, they noticed. Their silver hair fell just slightly longer than before, almost covering their eyes._

_Though their clothes seemed to have grown with their more adult bodies, they couldn't help but noticed the similarities to the outfits they were all wearing on the day they were given their ancient souls._

_"We're human," Vexxa spoke in the old language taught to them by their caretaker, and she smiled even wider. She spun once more, before her eyes fell on the seven charges. "Oh…"_

_"They don't realize they're dreaming," Nooroo murmured. "They don't know they've been asleep for four days."_

_"They look so peaceful," Tikki said quietly._

_"Well, they need to wake the hell up," Plagg grumbled. "We can't do anything without them."_

_The Kwamis watched as the seven humans split up, as if going to their own rooms. Each of the Kwami followed their respective charge._

_-_

_"Alya?" Vexxa spoke softly, a change to her normal brash speech - much like that of her charge. When Alya didn't respond, Vexxa became impatient. "Alya Cesaire."_

_Alya turned to face the voice she recognized coming form someone she had only seen in her dreams. "Vexxa…?"_

_Vexxa grinned and nodded. "The one and only."_

_"You're… You look different," Alya chuckled. "You're very beautiful."_

_"Thanks, kid," Vexxa smirked. She sat beside Alya on the bed. "Listen, kid, I need you to wake up."_

_"Huh?" Alya raised an eyebrow, peering at Vexxa over the rim of her glasses. "Wake up?"_

_"Yes. Wake up," Vexxa sighed. "I need you to wake up." She touched the necklace around her neck, realizing it wasn't around Alya's. "You, and the others, are in what appears to be a coma. We need you to wake up."_

_"A-a coma!? Vexxa, you're not… You can't be serious! We just came home from fighting an akuma."_

_"That was four days ago, Alya," Vexxa groaned. "Something happened; we don't what, exactly, but…"_

_"We're asleep," Alya shook her head, running her hands through her hair. "How come we're all still together?"_

_"I don't have any answers," Vexxa looked down at her hands. "I wish I did, but the best thing we can do right now is get all of you to wake up. So we can figure this out together."_

Alya opened her eyes and looked around the hospital room. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. "Vexxa?" A bright flash momentarily blinded the young journalist, but relief came over her as her Kwami floated down into her lap. "You were all human once, weren't you?"

Vexxa yawned and nodded. "Orphaned at the age of ten, all of us."

-

_"Nino."_

_"Wayzz." Nino looked at his Kwami in human form. "Never pegged you for an Aang look-a-like."_

_Wayzz quirked an eyebrow. "I am sure that makes sense in some universe."_

_"That show I watch a lot of, c'mon dude, you know the one I'm talking about," Nino grinned._

_After a moment, Wayzz nodded. "Right. The one in which you called me Iroh?" He smiled just slightly before looking into Nino's eyes. "You have been trying to wake, have you not?"_

_Nino nodded. "It's hard, man." He looked away from Wayzz. "Everyone else, they all seem so content to be here."_

_"That may or may not be true, but you need to wake up." Wayzz sighed, shifting from one foot to the other. "There is not much time left before the final battle, and you have all slept for four days already."_

_"The longer you all stay here, the harder it'll be for you to separate from us," Nino muttered. "I can't feel Alya in here anymore. Does that mean, she woke up?"_

_Wayzz nodded slowly. "Vexxa is gone as well. So that is one less to worry about." He looked at his charge and observed him. "You cannot stay to help the others. They will have to awake on their own."_

_Nino looked up and rubbed the back of his head, "That obvious, huh?" He chuckled dryly and shook his head before standing. "Time to wake up then, I suppose."_

Nino sat up before he opened his eyes. He heard the machines beeping, and felt Wayzz appear from the bracelet around his wrist before he finally opened his eyes. "Good to see you, though I'm sure you prefer your other form, huh little dude?"

Wayzz gave a tiny shrug in response. "I have grown accustomed to this one, and have no strong feelings either way."

-

_"C'mon, you really expect me to believe I'm dreaming?" Nathanael raise an eyebrow. "If I were dreaming, would I still be in pain from that damn akuma fight?"_

_"If you weren't dreaming, would I appear to you looking how I am now?" Paavo mirrored his charge's expression._

_Nathanael opened and closed his mouth a few times, quite the fish out of water. "I guess you're right." He shook his head. "How long have I been asleep, then?"_

_"Four days."_

_"Four- four days!?" Nathanael jumped to his feet. "No way. There's no way in hell!"_

_"Which is why you need to wake up." Paavo tapped his bare foot impatiently. "The world needs saving, and all that mumbo jumbo."_

_Nathanael groaned and nodded. "Fine. But, if it's that easy to wake up, why haven't I done it yet?"_

_"Because you didn't realize you were sleeping," Paavo stated as if it were the most obvious thing. It was, which was exactly why he didn't like stating it._

_"True." Nathanael shrugged and stood, stretching. "See you on the flip side then, birdman." He gave a two finger salute and a wink._

"Make it stop," Nathanael mumbled to the beeping of the machines. He kept his eyes closed, wanting to ignore the monitors. He sighed in relief as Paavo appeared beside him, nuzzled into his neck. "I think I like your braid. It suits you."

Paavo replied with a sound that was halfway between a snort and a scoff.

-

_"Rose? Juleka?" Biinii peered around the corner of the doorway, Nooroo holding onto her hand._

_"Who's there?" Rose's muffled voice came from the bed where the two were cuddled together._

_"Rose, it's Biinii…" The yellow-clad woman replied. "And-and Nooroo is here with me."_

_"Nooroo?" Juleka sat up, wide-eyed. "Are you both alright?"_

_Biinii and Nooroo stepped into the room fully, noticing the gasps and wide eyes from both of the girls._

_"Y-you're-"_

_"Human, yes," Biinii offered a small smile to her charge._

_Juleka stood from the bed and practically jumped off of it, running to Nooroo and pulling them into a hug._

_It was Nooroo's turn to become wide-eyed. They blinked and tentatively returned the hug, not understand why Juleka's grasp was so desperate._

_"Juleka, Rose," Nooroo spoke softly and slowly, pulling Juleka out of the tight embrace she had them in. "We need you to wake up now."_

_Juleka nodded, unquestioning. She looked at Rose and held out her hand, smiling as her girlfriend took it._

_"Did you know you were dreaming?" Biinii asked softly._

_"I had an inkling, but seeing the both of you," Juleka nodded to each of the Kwami, "set it in stone."_

When Juleka awoke to find herself alone and hooked to machines, she nearly panicked.

"Don't worry, Rose is in the next room over."

At the sound of Nooroo's voice, Juleka relaxed back into the hospital bed, trying to calm herself enough to keep the machines beeping regularly.

Rose blinked a few times as she awoke, smiling as Biinii flitted above her head.

In the morning, the five were given discharge papers.

"What about Adrien and Marinette?" Nino looked at his boyfriend and girlfriends before looking at Tom and Sabine and then finally to the doctor and two nurses standing in front of them.

"They haven't made any progress," the doctor said, looking away.

"Put them in the same room," Alya stated, her voice was razor sharp.

"Miss, I'm afraid we can't do that," one of the nurses said, covering as the other two professionals regained their composure from the young woman's tone.

"Put them. In. The same. _Room._ " Alya's teeth were bared and she was nearly growling as she spoke. "They'll die if you don't."

Nino looked at Alya, slightly taken aback at her words. Deep down, however, he knew they were true. Whether it was because of being Chat Noir and Ladybug, or if it were the fact of Tikki and Plagg trying their hardest to wake them, he knew they couldn't do it being separated.

"Listen, mademoiselles and monsieur," Nathanael said, standing in front of his teammates. "In there, in those two rooms, you're killing Paris' beloved superheroes. Ladybug and Chat Noir are inseparable, and if you keep them like that, they won't pull through this."

Everyone in the room looked at Nathanael with wide, terrified eyes. Six pairs of eyes stared at him in disbelief that he had just revealed a huge secret that didn't even involve their own identities, but the identities of two of their best friends. Three pairs stared at him as if he were crazy.

"Sir-"

"I'll transform right here in front of you if that's what it takes to make sure they wake up," Nathanael glared. "Put them in the same room."

After the doctor and nurses left to fulfill the request, Alya slapped Nathanael across the face before bringing him into a tight hug.

"You ever do that again, and I'm sure Mari and Adrien will kill you."

Nathanael was still in shock from the slap as he let his arms rest around Alya's waist. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do."

"It's okay, Nath," Rose smiled. "At least now they should wake up soon."

But even after being moved into the same room, neither Marinette or Adrien made any improvements. The situation never got worse, but they still didn't wake up.

_"They're asleep, even this many dreams in," Tikki murmured. "We're waiting for them to wake up, just as everyone else is waiting in the waking world for them to wake up."_

_"This is all very confusing," Plagg grumbled. "And I'm getting hungry."_

_Tikki allowed herself a small giggle, shaking her head at her companion. "Save the kids first, then we'll eat."_

_"We can't go any further in without merging with them," Plagg said, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous."_

_"How else are they going to wake up!?" Tikki collapsed onto her knees in defeat. "We can't just leave them here."_

_"If we stay any longer, we won't be able to separate," Plagg knelt beside Tikki, rubbing her back. "We have to start leaving these dream layers, Tikki. We're of no use to them if we get stuck here."_

Another three days passed before Tikki and Plagg reappeared.

"You two look exhausted," Sabine murmured, holding the two Kwamis close to her. "I brought some cookies and cheese. I didn't know if you would need it, but it's been so long since we've seen you."

"Thank you," Tikki smiled, taking the cookie. She took some of the cheese as well and handed it to Plagg.

"We have a problem."

Tikki and Plagg looked up at Nino as he ran into the room.

"The final battle is at our doorstep; he akuma is on the loose," Nino said, obviously nervous. "Alya and the others have already left to go and try- they're no closer to waking up, are they?"

Plagg shook his head, looking at his and Tikki's chosen. 

"They're so many layers in…" Tikki sniffled, floating down to rest in Marinette's hair.

Nino wrung his hands together. "If… If you merge with them, what are the chances of all four of you making it out alright?"

"Slim to none, kid," Plagg said, staring at his cheese. "We've never done it; the risk was too high to attempt it, even in dire situations."

Tikki nodded, rotating her cookie in her hand from her safe haven in Marinette's hair. She'd be sure to brush the crumbs away later. "It's made even more dangerous by the fact that Adrien and Marinette seem to have been practically made for us as wielders."

"The more perfect for you they are, the harder it will be to separate when the time comes…" Nino nodded. He looked at Wayzz, who had just flown up beside him. "Would we be able to help? If the only way to rid ourselves of this final evil is to have Plagg and Tikki go as far in as possible and merge to wake them up, would we be of any help to pulling them back apart?"

Wayzz flitted back and forth for a moment. "It is possible." He tapped underneath his mouth. "However… It is risky, and all parties would have to be willing to do so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter and then the epilogue.  
> Probs gonna double update this and then write the epilogue within the next few days.


	9. Chapter 9

_"Tikki!"_

_"Plagg!"_

_Tikki's eyes widened as Marinette ran and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around her charge, smiling as she watched Adrien do the same to Plagg. Despite all of his attitude, Tikki watched Plagg hold back tears as he hugged Adrien._

_"Listen," Tikki said, big blue eyes serious as she held Marinette at arm's length. "You two are in a coma. You've been asleep for a week, at least." She paused as the two young adults exchanged glances. "The final akuma is making its mark, and everyone else is out there fighting it."_

_"The problem is, you two won't - can't - wake up. You've fallen too far into this dream to get out on your own accord," Plagg sighed. "We have to merge with you."_

_"But we need your permission, just as we can't force the transformation on you if no part of you wishes it," Tikki looked from Marinette to Adrien, hoping to convey how heavy the topic was through her eyes._

_"There's a catch," Marinette said, grasping onto Adrien's hand. "What is it?"_

_"We may not be able to be separated again," Tikki replied._

_"You'll just… Disappear?" Adrien's voice nearly cracked at the idea, and he had to force himself to stay straight-faced._

_"Not fully," Plagg said. "We'd still be with you, but we would be two souls occupying one body. There would be a subconscious fight for dominance. You'd both still be able to transform if ever needed again, but…"_

_"We wouldn't have a corporeal form anymore." Tikki finished._

_Marinette and Adrien looked at each other once more._

_"If you believe it's the only way, we trust you," Adrien said, nodding._

_"Even knowing that you wouldn't be just yourselves anymore?" Tikki questioned._

_Adrien chuckled, "If I love Marinette a fraction of how much Plagg loves you, I think that it'll all work out in the end."_

_Plagg gently slapped the back of Adrien's head. "I've been wanting to do that for years, kid."_

_Adrien rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. "I'm just saying, I know the love you two have for each other. Marinette and I love each other as well, and if we have to share a body with anyone-"_

_"-our Kwami would be the best outcome," Marinette smiled. "Plus, I'm sure there's a way out of the predicament."_

_Plagg and Tikki linked their own hands together._

_"When we do this, you'll need to transform right away once you're awake," Tikki said, voice stern. "You won't be awake until you see the hospital room. You're together, so don't panic when you awake."_

_"Nino will be waiting for you there, with Wayzz. He'll take you to the battle," Plagg said. He rolled his shoulders and shook his head, kissing the back of Tikki's hand before dropping it._

_"Before we do this, might I say you're a beautiful lady, Tikki," Adrien smiled._

_Tikki rolled her eyes, much like Marinette, and shook her head._

_"You got your own lady, kid, leave mine alone," Plagg teased._

_"You know, you've got the tall, dark, and handsome thing going, Plagg; maybe Adri should take some tips," Marinette grinned._

_"You wound me," Adrien chuckled, hand over his heart dramatically._

_"Alright, alright, enough," Tikki smiled. "No time to waste."_

Light flashed in the hospital room and a doctor and the Dupain-Chengs came rushing in, staring at Nino as he helped the two sit up in their hospital beds.

"Transform, now."

Marinette and Adrien nodded, not even having to say the words before the transformations fell over them. Nino had already carefully detached them from the machines and such in the room.

"You won't have a time limit as long as you're fused," Nino said, calling for his own transformation before pushing past the doctor. The three heroes gave quick hugs to the Dupain-Chengs before leaving the hospital room. "This battle needs to be finished within the hour."

"Why so little time?" Ladybug asked, grabbing for her yo-yo.

"It's our grace period before the fuse becomes all but permanent," Jade responded. "Wayzz and I have a plan, something I was able to remember from a past life - mine or Wayzz's I can't tell." He shook his head as he unhooked his shield from his back. "But after that, the success rate of the separation drops rapidly."

"So what are we waiting for?" Chat grinned as they stepped outside. He unclipped his baton, feeling more power than he had ever experienced previously.

Ladybug readied her yo-yo and latched it onto a chimney nearby, the three of them heading toward the Eiffel Tower.

-

The akuma was big. It was bigger than any they had really faced, and it was honestly terrifying. It was almost something out of myth. Great black wings in four sections protruded from a tangled frame of what looked almost like tree bark. The wings themselves had eyes along the top, all yellow and brown and black and searching every last corner around it. The creature itself had no eyes, but what looked like a mangled plate from its nose up. Fur seemed to come from its head instead of hair, falling down and past shriveled shoulders. (Think of a larger, gnarlier angel guy from Hellboy 2: The Golden Army) Darkness surrounded the creature, and eldritch noises came from its mouth instead of words.

Around the tangled mass of bark, scraps of black fabric draped. In one of its four arms it held a long staff with a striking silver spearhead. Around its neck lay a rope necklace, a shining silver tree of life symbol hanging from it.

Papillon stood at the front of the group of four, pointing her wand at the creature. She was saying something, but Jade, Chat, and Ladybug couldn't make it out from where they were approaching. Bumblebee and Peacock stood to either side a couple steps back, and Volpina was edging herself away from the small group to come at the creature from a different angle.

"Now that's just rude," Chat Noir grinned as he landed between Papillon and the akuma. "Speaking to my dear ones that way."

"You can understand it?" Peacock questioned, eyebrow raised. He was honestly just wanting to hug him and Ladybug right then and there and never let them go, but he knew to refrain. They had business to attend to, now was not the time for the much needed reunion.

"You're alright," Bumblebee clapped her hands quickly and excitedly.

"You let them fuse?" Papillon nearly snapped at Jade. "That's dangerous!"

"We know what we're doing, Pap," Ladybug said, placing a gentle hand of the hero's shoulder. She smiled just slighltly before turning to the akuma.

_"You are nothing compared to me; I am the Angel of Death, here to bring you all to your end."_ The creature's voice and foreign words echoed across the area, shrill and demanding.

_"Did you come here to talk at us or to fight? Because, if I'm to be purrfectly honest, I'm getting a teensy bit annoyed at your purrescence here."_

Ladybug wasn't entirely sure how cat puns translated into the ancient, dead language, but Chat managed to do it. She looked around for any indication of time before giving up and just trying to get the fight over with as soon as possible.

"The akuma is nestled in the charm on its necklace," Papillon stated, standing between Chat and Ladybug. "We've had it spotted for a while, but we didn't know if…"

"Thank you," Ladybug smiled, releasing and catching her yo-yo twice before looking for a latching point.

Bumblebee lifted into the air and watched as Ladybug shot off toward the akuma and Chat broke into a sprint, baton at the ready. She knocked three arrows onto her bow and pulled them back, taking aim and waiting. Her senses honed in - protect and deflect. She noted Papillon using her wand much like Chat's baton to deflect the darkness being directed toward her. Peacock was running in front of Chat and using his fans to direct any energy thrown at the two of them back at the source until Chat could get close enough to land an attack. Jade was in front of Volpina, getting her close enough to use her multiplication power and help Chat; once Volpina's clones faded, Bumblebee knew Peacock would use his power and then fight until his time ran out, but that step was far out from where they were currently.

Bumblebee's eyes flitted about, looking for Ladybug. Ladybug was nowhere within her line of sight, and it made her nervous. Almost too late, Bumblebee snapped her attention to the deflected ball of black and purple smoke coming straight towards her. She willed her wings to move her out of the way, turning her bow from vertical to horizontal and letting the three arrows fly. She watched as each arrow hit its mark: one in each of the creature's arms and one in its torso - none were fatal, but it gave the offensive team enough time to get hits in before paralysis wore off.

Searing pain starting at her shoulder and working outward down her arm and toward her chest caused Bumblebee to fall from the sky at an alarming rate. She didn't even realize the scream she heard came from her own throat as she plummeted.

"BB!" Papillon dropped her stance and ran to catch Bumblebee. The momentum from the fall knocked them both to the ground, and Papillon's hands hovered over the decaying tree bark now taking over Bumblebee's skin. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at the akuma, and her fist clenched around her weapon. She gently set Bumblebee on the ground, careful of the slowly spreading injury, and stood.

_"Biinii… What's wrong with me?" Rose looked down at her hands, decaying and beginning to fade from existence. She looked at the human form of her kwami. "What do I do?"_

_Biinii reached her arms out, holding onto Rose as tightly as she could. "Oh my sweet little flower…" She whispered. "Oh Rose, I'm so sorry…" She shook her head and nuzzled into Rose's shoulder length hair._

_"Biinii, I don't want to die…" Rose whimpered. "I still have to plan the wedding. I have the flower shop. Juleka, Nathanael… Marinette, Adrien, Alya, Nino… I don't want to leave them. I can't leave them." She took in a shaky breath as she felt more of herself start disappearing. "I don't want to be forgotten…"_

_"Neither do I, my flower," Biinii murmured, her own tears starting to fall. "I… I can stop this."_

_Rose looked up with wide, terrified eyes. "H-how?"_

_"We can fuse, like Marinette and Adrien did with Tikki and Plagg, though… If we're ever separated, it would kill us both due to the state we're in when the fuse occurs," Biinii spoke softly and clearly. "We would share the same body, your body, forever."_

_Rose bit her lip before nodding. "I don't mind."_

The sight that greeted her when she sat up was something that would give Bumblebee nightmares for years.

"Papillon!" Ladybug yelled, holding the civilian's broken charm in her right hand. Her yo-yo had been at the ready to catch the tainted butterfly, but its fight wasn't over yet.

Peacock ran toward Papillon, but didn't make it before the akuma flew into Nooroo's brooch.

Bumblebee saw the sheer terror in Papillon's eyes before the billowing purple and black smoke surrounded her, lightning crackling.

There was nothing the other six could do as the smoke retreated and left Papillon in a darker pallet of her hero clothes. Her wand was larger, almost comically so, and large black and deep purple wings protruded from her back.

"Papillon…"

"Oh sweet little Bumblebee," Papillon cooed, lifting slowly off of the ground by use of her large wings. "You should have stayed dead."

"BB!" Jade yelled, sending a shield out to encase her before a stream of purple shot from the tip of the wand toward her.

"We have to crush the Miraculous…" Ladybug mumbled.

"We have to kill Nooroo," Chat choked out. "We can't- we can't do that…"

"If Nooroo becomes one with Juleka right after we break the Miraculous, they will live," Jade said, jumping back to avoid a blast of energy and landing between Chat and Ladybug. "But I don't think any of these mergings will be undone. Rose will die, Nooroo will die, and there's a likely chance you two will end up in a coma again with a ten percent chance of coming out of it ever."

"By the end of it, we may all have to bind with them," Peacock said from the other side of Ladybug.

"Just to survive," Volpina added, coming up on the other side of Chat. "It's not looking good. We're all using up too much energy."

"V, you're injured," Jade said, finally taking note of the large gash on Volpina's left arm and how it was dripping quite a bite of blood onto the ground.

"I'm fine, Jade, let's just save our girlfriend, kay?" Volpina forced a grin. "Hey PC, got any juice left?"

Peacock nodded. "Yeah, just head out and tell me when you need it."

"Code Blue, got it," Volpina gave a two finger salute and a wink before darting toward Papillon.

Bumblebee held a single arrow at the ready, her wings fluttering to keep her in the air directly across from Papillon. "Jules-"

"No!" Papillon snapped. "No talking. Only dying." She readied another blast, but before she could let it go, before anyone could get to her, an arrow flew toward her and struck true. The brooch cracked and the little butterfly flew out.

"Catch her!" Ladybug yelled as she caught the butterfly - the final akuma - with her yo-yo. She purified and watched the magical white insect flutter back toward Papillon, now safely in Volpina and Bumblebee's arms.

"I-"

"No, Pap, no apologizing," Volpina muttered.

"I knew this would happen; I shouldn't have come to this fight," Papillon began to sit up before she clutched at her chest and fell back once more. He body twitched and her transformation faded in and out.

_"Juleka."_

_"Nooroo…" Juleka reached out a hand to brush away a few strands of their silver hair. "I won't let you die, do you understand?"_

_Nooroo nodded as he was pulled to Juleka in an embrace. "Take me with you."_

_Juleka chuckled and nodded. "Forever, my dear friend."_

Juleka woke up in the mattress room at the mansion. She blinked and slowly sat up; she was glad that one of her girlfriends or boyfriends had changed her into her black pajama shorts and dark purple tank top. Her hand moved to the mostly repaired brooch hanging at her neck on a chain.

_I'm still here when you need me, Juleka._

Juleka chuckled to herself. "I know, Nooroo." She looked around the room and noticed the television, glad that the battle against herself had been edited out. She slowly stood and stretched, hearing voices down the hall in the kitchen. She tip-toed down the hall to listen and watch.

"Tikki thinks it may be the best option," Marinette murmured quietly. "With the majority of us bonded…"

Adrien nodded. "Plagg does as well, and if he's seriously agreeing with something then it has to be the right thing."

"If you all do this, it is final," Wayzz said. "It is forever."

"I'd rather us all be together forever than for some of us to be immortal and others not," Nathanael sighed. He looked up and saw Juleka in the hallway. "Come on little butterfly, this involves you too."

Juleka jumped slightly before walking toward him, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her. She visibly relaxed as Rose joined the embrace, followed by the rest of their group. "What's this about immortality?"

"Something that wasn't mentioned at all before we had to take the dive to bond," Adrien muttered. "Once we're fused with our kwami, that's it. It's forever, literally. Unless we're literally chopped to pieces, we live forever."

"Like vampires but without the having to avoid sunlight thing," Nino added.

"So, at the moment, you, me, Adri, and Mari are immortal," Rose said, nesting her head underneath Juleka's. "Nath, Nino, and Aly aren't."

Vexxa, Wayzz, and Paavo sat in the middle of the kitchen counter, looking up at the heroes.

"We can still transform, and there's no time limit," Nathanael shrugged. "The only problem is that sometimes, the kwami will take over our bodies. If Rose is ever separated from Biinii, Rose will die; the same goes for Nooroo if ever they and Juleka are forced apart. If Tikki and Plagg are taken from Marinette and Adrien, they will basically be dead."

"There's also the problem of living forever," Alya said, crossing her arms. "We'll always be this age. Twenty-two or twenty-three. We'll be around way longer than any of our family or other friends. We'll have each other, but we'll be the only ones who can stop any global catastrophe from here on out."

"You three have to be completely willing to merge with us, however," Paavo said, floating up to the humans' eye level.

"I, for one, would be glad to not be the only one out-living everyone just by being the Guardian," Nino said, raising a hand and grinning.

"I've found my home, my family," Nathanael said. He looked around and then at Paavo, cupping his hands in the air so his kwami could rest in them. "I wouldn't want to leave it for anything."

Alya looked at Nino and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Living forever… Do you realize how many scoops I could get with unlimited time?" She grinned.

Nino kissed Alya's forehead and looked down at Wayzz. "Alright little dude, I think we're ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so. a lot happened in this final chapter.  
> i'm the worst at conclusions, which is why i'm gonna write an epilogue that makes this polyamorous group of superheroes happy.  
> 14 souls in 7 bodies  
> sounds like it could be its own series -waggles eyebrows-
> 
> =^.^=


	10. (Not the) Epilogue

Okay, so, I'm literally the worst. It's been an interesting couple of weeks, but I've found that every time I try to write the epilogue it comes out as just word salad. I haven't been able to come up with anything that is a satisfying enough ending for this story. This was my first multi-chapter fic in this fandom, and I feel like any "short and sweet" ending won't do it justice. So, I've decided to not really "end" it. I'm going to write one-shots and two/three-shots of moments skipped over in the main fic.  
I'm going to open my ask box on tumblr up to prompts of things people would like to see written in this universe. If that makes sense?  
Like individuals coming to terms with their own part in the scheme of the storyline. I know I focused more on Mari and Adrien and then like Nino and Alya and didn't give much more attention once all seven were involved. I'll make different stories for them obviously, but I'll add them into a series with this fic. I just feel like if I end this with an epilogue that it would just be anti-climatic, and I want to give y'all more of these characters and actually build these relationships so that maybe if I come back and make an epilogue it'll be satisfying and no one will be disappointed.

With that said, I'll probably first write a separate fic of Alya, Nino, Nath, Rose, and Juleka coming to terms with being heroes - getting to know the relationships they had with their kwami throughout this fic before everyone moved into together and became so domestic. We watch how Adrien and Mari deal with being heroes, but after rereading my fic and reading everyone's (FANTASTIC) comments, I know there's some things I've neglected. Yet, I don't want to rewrite this to fit everything in, because I honestly love how it flows.  
After that (or during), I will take prompts and requests and probably also write a bit of the kwami before they became kwami because I honestly enjoyed those bits. I will also love to write scenes after they've all fused together and explore how that works to.

Now that this is the longest author's note I've probably ever written, I bid you all a temporary adieu and hope to see you all soon in the next installment of this AU.

My tumblr is lunarbloodprince.tumblr.com and I implore you to come talk to me! About anything really; it can be about this AU just to talk about it and I can answer some unanswered questions perhaps, it can be prompts for this AU or just prompts in general, or just to chat. I don't bite, promise!

Again, thank you all for reading this. Thank you for your time, and thank you so much for your comments!

<3

=^.^=


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